The Most Wonderful Place on Earth
by Schaarli
Summary: Rose Tyler is a single mum who decides save up her money to take her son to an theme park in America. Rose never imagined that she'd find more than just thrill rides and cartoon characters in the most wonderful place on Earth.
1. Chapter 1

Summary:

Rose Tyler is a single mum who decides save up her money to take her son to an theme park in America. Rose never imagined that she'd find more than just thrill rides and cartoon characters in the most wonderful place on Earth. Dr. Jason Tempest had forgotten all about his promise to his daughter to take her Wonder World until she reminded him just three weeks ago. Although his last minute plans would cost him extra, what he came home with was priceless.

Notes from the Author:

This story was inspired a few months ago while on a family trip to Disney World. The plot begged to be written, so I set aside another story I've been working on to write this one. And then life happened and it didn't get written nearly as fast as I would have liked. The rating is probably more "Teen" than "Mature", but I figured "Mature" would be the safer choice.

As always, I don't own Doctor Who nor do I own Disney. Anything vaguely Disney-like is inspired by it. And this is unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

Chapter 1:

Rose couldn't help but smile with pride and joy as she and her five year old son, Jack, walked along the sidewalk leading up to the front gates of Wonder World. Rose had saved for years to take Jack on this trip. Despite her best efforts and sacrifices, sometimes going without a meal or wearing her shoes until the soles were bare, her young son had grown up with so few luxuries that other kids took for granted. So, when the idea came to her one night while watching telly when Jack was two, Rose knew she could save enough money to take her precious little boy on the trip of a lifetime. Her mum, Jackie, had thought the idea daft. "You're just trying to buy his love," she'd criticized. "You don't need to take him to a theme park in America to prove you love him."

"It's not about proving my love, Mum," Rose had replied. "I just want to take him on a nice trip before he starts school. He's done without a lot of other things kids his age have, not to mention the absence of a father. I just want him to have some happy memories of his childhood to make up for everything I can't give him."

"I'll never stop sayin' it, Rose. Good riddance to bad rubbish. That arsehole may have helped create 'im, but he's no father to Jack – never has been and never will be." Jackie nearly spat at the thought of Jimmy Stone being her grandson's father.

"I know, Mum. His name isn't even on the birth certificate. He's got no rights to Jack," Rose reminded her.

Now, three years later, Jack was bouncing with delight, tugging Rose along faster so as not to miss a moment of the excitement of Wonder World.

"What can I do first, Mummy? Can I meet Rickey Rodent? Or maybe ride a roller coaster? Is there a parade? What time are the fireworks?" The questions and possibilities were endless in Jack's 5-year old mind. It was in that moment when Rose knew that her sacrifices had all been worth it to see the wonder and joy on Jack's face as he approached the entrance gates.

It wasn't that the trip had been a last minute decision. Oh no, Jason had promised little Sarah Jane a trip to Wonder World three years ago. At the time, she had just turned two and he was hoping to bribe Sarah Jane into talking. It was a last ditch effort before finally going to an expert Speech Pathologist for help.

"No, Dr. Tempest, Sarah Jane's delayed speech development is due to a neurological motor-planning disorder known as dyspraxia," the specialist explained. "I see no evidence of physical trauma from the car accident that killed her parents. Any psychological trauma she experienced when her parents died and she came to live with you has nothing to do with her speech development, or lack thereof."

"So, it's nothing I did or didn't do when she came to live with me, then?" Jason may be a pediatrician, but even he didn't understand his adopted daughter's diagnosis. He needed confirmation that he wasn't the reason for his niece's lack of speech skills.

"Absolutely not. Unfortunately, not enough is known about the causes of dyspraxia. But with the right kind of intensive therapy, Sarah Jane will learn to talk eventually. She'll need your support and patience to get there, but I have no doubts that she will find her voice one day."

Jason looked at little Sarah Jane, who had clearly been following the entire conversation with a focus worthy of children twice her age, "Hear that, Sarah Jane?! You're going to learn to talk! And when you do, I'm taking you to Wonder World!"

Jason never imagined that Sarah Jane would remember that promise. After all, he'd forgotten it not long after he'd made it, so why would a two-year-old remember it after three years? But here he was, three years later stepping off the Rickey Railway and heading down the ramp to the gates of Wonder World with Sarah Jane on his shoulders, talking a mile a minute about the day's itinerary. "First, we'll ride the Rickey Railway...check! Then we'll visit the princess castle, take our pictures, have a snack, ride some rides, eat dinner, and then watch the fireworks before bedtime…"

Jason sighed in relief that his travel agent had been able to book the trip at the last minute. Sure, he'd end up spending more money than he would have with better prior planning, but any amount of money was worth it to keep his promise to his niece who had both lost and gained so much in her short five years of life.

 _-Two Days Later-_

The afternoon sun was hot on their sunscreen-laden skin. "Puh-lease, Mummy! I won't ask for anything else the rest of this trip! Puh-lease ride it with me!" Jack begged Rose to take him on the newest thrill ride at Wonder World. The Time Acceleration Risk Demonstration Immersion System, or TARDIS for short, was known to make even the strongest stomachs lurch with its fast spinning and jerky sudden movements. The engineering for the ride was world-famous, as no two ride experiences were the same with the pattern of spins, rolls, and dips determined at random by the advanced computer system, all following the storyline of time and space travel to periods and planets unknown. Some fans even speculated that the ride's computer system was sentient.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but I could barely make it through the High-rise of Horror. I don't think I can stomach the TARDIS." Rose apologized to her son. It was rare that Rose wished for this, but in this moment, she wished Jack had a father to ride the TARDIS with him.

Jack did what 5-year-olds do best – he crossed his arms, made the angriest face he could muster, stuck out his bottom lip and pouted as he took a seat on the low rock wall in front of his mum, hoping he could use his superior puppy-dog eye skills to convince her to risk her lunch over a quick ride.

"Come on, Sarah Jane… just one ride? I promise I won't make you do anything else you don't want to do this trip if you'll just ride the TARDIS with me…" Jason knew he was embarrassing himself by begging a 5-year-old to ride a thrill ride with him, but in this moment, he didn't care.

"No, Daddy, you already made me go on the High-rise of Horror yesterday and you said that was the only one you would make me ride," little Sarah Jane reminded him.

"I know, Sarah Jane, but that was before I saw the preview for the TARDIS on the TV in the loo this morning." Jason had been surprised when he discovered a TV mounted behind the mirror in their hotel suite that morning when he was shaving. He had meant to switch the TV to the Weather Station, but got distracted with the Wonder World channel advertising the mega theme park's latest attractions and improvements.

Sarah Jane spotted a seat along a nearby wall where she could sit in the shade and refine the itinerary for the rest of the day to maximize princess meet-and-greets and sing-along shows. Jason sat down next to her, crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip, hoping his sad puppy-dog eyes would win over his 5-year-old traveling companion.

Rose studied the map a bit more and hadn't noticed the man and little girl who had sat down next to Jack on the low wall. When she looked up from the map, she couldn't help but giggle at Jack's expression mirrored in the grown man seated next to him.

"A right pair you two are," she said, glancing back and forth between her son and the stranger. Jack and the man turned to look at each other and then back to Rose. "Are you poutin' 'cause she won't ride the TARDIS either?" Rose asked, gesturing to Sarah Jane.

The stranger's pout faded slightly and his expression turned to one of surprised recognition. "Yeah, actually, I am." He said in his Northern baritone voice.

Sarah Jane rolled her eyes at her daddy before looking up at who he was speaking with. "I'd rather go see the new Chilled sing-along show and meet the princesses than ride that swirling death trap," Sarah Jane replied. She observed this attractive young blonde with a familiar accent and was suddenly struck by a brilliant idea. "I know! Why don't you two _boys_ go off and ride the TARDIS and _we ladies_ can go see the Chilled sing-along show?"

Rose's expression turned suspicious while Jason's face lit up at the idea.

"Brilliant suggestion, Sarah Jane," Jason said.

At the same time, Rose replied, "I don't think so."

"What?!" the two adults said simultaneously.

"You don't trust me with your kid?" Jason asked, a bit insulted.

"Why would you trust me with yours? I don't even know you!" Rose replied. "I can't trust a stranger with my son."

Jason stood up and offered his hand to Rose. Rose reached out tentatively to shake it. "Dr. Jason Tempest, pediatrician. Originally from Manchester, me, but live and work in London now. And this is my daughter, Sarah Jane. She's five but thinks she's 15." Sarah Jane waved at Rose, but stuck her tongue out at her father.

Still shaking hands, Rose replied slowly, "Um…I'm Rose Tyler. I've lived in London my whole life. And this is my son, Jack. He's five too and thinks he can do anything." Jack nodded in agreement. Rose and Jason dropped their hands.

"Well, now that we aren't strangers, how about I take little Jack here on the TARDIS ride while you go subject your auditory senses to the most obnoxious princess soundtrack in recorded history," Jason suggested, grinning ear to ear.

Sarah Jane elbowed him in the thigh and muttered, "We've talked about that daft face, Dad. You can't convince someone to trust you when you look like you're the cat who's about the get the cream."

Rose giggled at Sarah Jane's observation but shook her head, "I don't know…" There was something about this tall, ruggedly handsome stranger that begged her to trust him, despite the logical side of her subconscious shaking its head at the ridiculous thought of entrusting her only child with a stranger in a foreign country.

"Come on, Mum! This is the perfect arrangement! I get to ride the TARDIS and you can go do some girly princess stuff," Jack spoke up.

Rose seemed to be contemplating the idea. "How do I know you're not going to kidnap my son?" she asked, realizing how stupid that sounded after she said it out loud.

"Oi! Not a kidnapper, me. Besides, I could say the same about you," Jason replied, his grin fading to a look of annoyance.

"I'll be fine, Mum," Jack replied. "And if he tries anything, I'll run to the nearest Wonder World staff member."

Rose looked between the three faces now begging her to agree to the suggested arrangement. Three sets of puppy-dog eyes stared back at her and she knew she wouldn't be able to say no. "Okay, fine," Rose acquiesced. "You've got 45 minutes to ride the TARDIS while we go watch the Chilled show. We'll all meet back here, got it?" All three people saluted Rose and then the group split off into their respective pairings.


	2. Chapter 2

As they stood in the TARDIS queue, Jason decided to interrogate his temporary ride companion. It wasn't hard to admit that Rose was attractive and Jason wondered if the absence of Jack's father was any indication of her availability.

"So, you're a fan of thrill rides?" Jason asked.

"Yep! Although, this is the first amusement park I've ever been to, so I only just discovered my love for centrifugal force and gravity as a means of entertainment," Jack explained. Jason barked out a laugh at the precocious child's explanation.

"You sure do know a lot about physics for a five year old," Jason observed.

"My mum always encourages me to learn new things. Says she wants me to grow up and move off the estate like she always wanted to but never could," Jack said very matter-of-factly.

"Is your dad a scientist?" Jason wondered if asking about the boy's father was a bad idea, but he quickly received his answer.

"I don't think so. Don't know much about my dad. I heard Gran tell her friend Bev once that my dad 'pulled a runner' before I was born. I've never met him; don't even know his name. But that's okay; Mummy doesn't need a man when she's got me. I can take care of her." Jack grinned and chuffed out his chest with pride.

"I'm sure you can," Jason smiled. Now he knew that Jack's father wasn't in the picture and that Rose was single, at least as far as the boy knew. Ever since Sarah Jane came into Jason's life, he hadn't been interested in dating or marriage. He had a little lady to focus on and didn't want a girlfriend mucking things up. But now that he had met Rose, Jason was starting to rethink that belief.

Rose and Sarah Jane arrived early to the Chilled sing-along and managed to get perfect seats right in the middle of the theater. They talked about their favorite princess movies and songs.

"What color dress would you wear if you were a princess?" Rose asked.

"I love blue! I'd wear a dress like Moira in the movie _Valiant_ ," Sarah Jane answered enthusiastically. "I think it's great that modern princess movies are including more strong female leads who don't need a man to rescue them."

"That is true," Rose replied, impressed at Sarah Jane's mature observation of modern animated films. "I love _Valiant_! There's something extra lovely about a Northern accent. Does your mum ever make you dress-up princess clothes?" Rose hoped to gain a little more insight into this young girl's family.

"I don't have a mum," Sarah Jane replied. Rose couldn't read the child's emotions. It was almost as if it didn't seem to matter to the child that she had no mother. "I mean, I had a mum once, but she and my dad were killed in a car accident when I was a baby. So, Daddy adopted me. He used to be my uncle and after I came to live with him, he became my dad."

"I'm so sorry, Sarah Jane," Rose wasn't expecting that kind of response from the girl. "I hope I haven't upset you talking about your mum."

"Not at all," the little girl replied. "I was too young to remember them and I like hearing stories about my parents from Daddy."

"So, your Uncle Jason adopted you, but he never married anyone?"

"Nope. It's always just been the two of us," Sarah Jane answered. She may have been five years old, but she was brilliant and had made up her mind already that Rose would make a perfect mummy. "But, I think it's about time he find someone and settle down. I can't take care of him forever, you know. I'll be going to school soon and I'll have to focus on my education." Sarah Jane chuffed with pride thinking about her future successes in school.

Rose couldn't help but giggle at this precocious child. Now she knew that Jason was single, at least as far as Sarah Jane knew. Ever since Rose was pregnant with Jack and Jimmy ran off, she hadn't been interested in dating or marriage. She had a little man to focus on and didn't want a boyfriend complicating things. But now that she had met Jason, Rose was starting to rethink those plans.

Forty-five minutes later, Rose, Sarah Jane, Jason, and Jack met back up at the designated rendezvous location.

"Mummy, can Sarah Jane and I go ride the Jumbled Java Coffee Cup ride together?" Jack asked Rose.

"Yeah, Daddy, can I go ride that with Jack?" Sarah Jane pleaded with Jason.

"Yes," both parents replied. They walked closer to the ride and sat down next to each other on a nearby bench. Jack and Sarah Jane headed for the ride, whispering eagerly to each other. The same thought had occurred to both children and they were ready to join forces to get their parents together.

Rose and Jason sat in silence, watching their children play together. Jason eventually broke the silence. "So, how was the sing-along?"

"It was fun," Rose replied. "Although I think I'll have those songs stuck in my head for the next few weeks." Rose laughed and the silence between them returned, a bit more awkward than before. Rose broke the silence next. "How was the TARDIS ride?"

"It was fantastic!" Jason answered. "Although I'm glad I hadn't eaten in the last couple of hours or I might have used the sick-bags they had at every seat." Rose scrunched up her nose at that thought.

"I hope Jack behaved for you."

"Oh yes, he was very well behaved. And he took advantage of the time together to give me a physics lesson," Jason chuckled.

Rose covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. "Sorry about that. I always encourage him to learn new things and right now, he really wants to be an astronaut and fly into space."

"No need to apologize. It was a pleasant surprise to have such a sophisticated conversation with a five year old. Not that Sarah Jane can't wax lyrical about any number of topics."

"Well, Sarah Jane did educate me on modern self-rescuing princesses in today's animated film industry and the need for more opportunities for working-class actors," Rose explained. Jason beamed with pride. "And she may have also expressed concern about your perpetual bachelor status," Rose added. Jason's pride quickly sank to embarrassment.

"Really?" Jason was shocked by this revelation, as Sarah Jane had never expressed any opinion either way about the absence of a female adult in her life. "What did she say? Was she upset about not having a mum?"

"Upset isn't the right term," Rose explained. "She simply expressed concern about who was going to take care of you when she starts school next year and has to shift her focus onto academic priorities." Rose flashed Jason her signature tongue-touched grin, waiting to see his response.

Jason shook his head in disbelief and the two no-longer-strangers sat in comfortable silence as they watched their children spin and laugh on the coffee cup ride. Little did they know that these same clever children were concocting a plan of their own.

After two rides on the coffee cups, Jack and Sarah Jane returned to their respective parents.

"I'm hungry, Daddy. Can I have a snack?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Yeah, I'm hungry too, Mummy," Jack agreed.

While Jason checked his watch and then looked at the map to find the nearest snack cart, Rose dug around in her bag for a snack she had brought with her.

"How about popcorn?" Jason suggested. "I see there's a popcorn stand on the other side of the Coffee Cups."

"Oh, Mummy! I LOVE popcorn! Let's go with Sarah Jane and her dad and get some too!" Jack piped up.

Rose looked down at Jack, handing him a plastic bag of cheese crackers that had obviously been crushed in a suitcase. "I know you love popcorn, Jack, but I brought our own snacks, remember?" Rose replied.

Jack sulked, "But I want to go with Sarah Jane and get popcorn."

"We can accompany Sarah Jane and Jason to the snack stand, but we're going to eat the snacks we brought with us, okay? Remember what we talked about on the airplane?"

Jack's shoulders drooped as he recalled the conversation on the airplane from London – Rose budgeted enough money for two small meals a day and 20 quid in souvenirs. She had packed enough snacks for them to eat between meals. Jack had agreed not to argue when it came to buying things outside of the budget.

Jason watched the exchange between mother and son. His brilliant mind thought up the perfect solution. "Actually, Sarah Jane has been begging me for one of those souvenir popcorn buckets of Rickey Rodent's head, but we could never eat that much popcorn ourselves. We'll have plenty to share if you don't mind saving your cheese crackers for another time."

Sarah Jane added, "Yeah! If Daddy eats all that popcorn, he'll have a tummy ache and complain the rest of the day. You'll be doing me a favor!"

Rose hesitated, but much like the TARDIS ride dilemma, she couldn't turn down the puppy-dog faces that looked back at her. "Okay, if you're sure you don't mind, Jack can share popcorn with you."

The group ate their popcorn happily. Rose needed some reassurance to dig in as well, but once she did, she realized that it was the best popcorn she had ever had. Or maybe it was the company she shared it with that made it so good.


	3. Chapter 3

Rose, Jack, Jason and Sarah Jane spent the rest of the afternoon riding rides, watching a parade, and meeting characters. As dinner time approached, Rose seemed distracted while scrutinizing the map and menu offerings of various fast-service meal providers in the theme park. Jason even noticed Rose peaking into her wallet on more than one occasion, clearly taking a mental inventory of her available cash resources. Jason wondered how he might be able to offer to treat their new friends to dinner, when Sarah Jane came to the rescue.

"Daddy, is tonight the night when we have dinner with Rickey and Romana Rodent back at our hotel?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Yes, it is," Jason replied.

"You mean you have to leave?" Jack asked. "But you haven't even seen the fireworks show yet!"

"We can see the fireworks from our hotel room. Wait, I know!" Sarah Jane announced excitedly. "You and your mum can come to dinner with us and then watch the fireworks from our hotel room!"

Rose was quick to interrupt this conversation. "That's very sweet to offer, Sarah Jane, but we are going to stay here and eat something. Besides, we don't have a reservation and I'm sure your dad is ready to have you all to himself again."

"On the contrary," Jason spoke up. "I'm sure we could add two people to our reservation. Sarah Jane and I would love the company. Let me phone the restaurant and make sure they can add two chairs to our table." Jason quickly turned and walked away with his phone in hand, hoping to cut off any further refusal from Rose.

Rose huffed in frustration. She had counted up the cash she had left and at this rate, she'd not be able to eat anything on their last day. When Jason got back, she'd just have to be a bit more firm in her refusal. As much as she wanted to spend more time with their new friends, she simply couldn't afford a meal like this.

Jason returned a few minutes later, grinning widely. But before he could share his good news, Rose spoke up. "I'm very sorry, but Jack and I simply cannot join you for dinner tonight. I appreciate the extra effort you are taking on our behalf, but we really can't manage dinner with Rickey and Romana tonight."

"You don't want to spend any more time with us?" Sarah Jane asked sadly. Rose's resolve softened at the child's disappointment.

"Oh, Sarah Jane, it's not that we don't want to spend any more time with you. We've so enjoyed this afternoon with you both, and I hate to say goodbye just now, it's just that…" Rose paused, wondering how to explain personal finances to a child who probably never had to worry about such things. She was about to continue when a Wonder World staff person walked up to Jack.

"Excuse me. Are you Jack Tyler?" the staff person asked.

"Yeah…" Jack replied.

"Well, congratulations, Jack. You and your mom have been randomly selected for two free meals with Rickey and Romana Rodent at the Royal Grand Resort this evening. You don't have to bring anything special. Your names are already on the dining reservation list. And if you are hoping to dine with your friends here, just let the hostess know and she'll seat your parties together." The staff person smiled broadly and walked away with a bounce in his step.

"Well, how about that?!" Jason announced loudly. "Sounds like our problem has been solved and you can come to dinner with us now after all," Jason winked surreptitiously at Jack.

Rose eyed the situation suspiciously, but knew that she couldn't argue now. "Well, Sarah Jane," Rose said, looking the little girl in her bright and hopeful eyes. "Looks like you get your wish and we'll join you for dinner after all."

Jack and Sarah Jane jumped up and down enthusiastically yelling "Yay!" They turned and quickly headed to the Rickey Railway that would take the party of four to dinner. Jack and Sarah Jane held the now-empty Rickey Rodent popcorn bucket together, swinging it between them, while Jason watched the scene smugly. Frankly, he wasn't ready to say goodbye to Rose yet either and if he had his way, somewhere in their future, they might never have to say goodbye.

Dinner with Rickey and Romana was more fun than Rose had had in a long time. The kids loved meeting some of their favorite characters. The buffet was delicious; Rose ate more than she had at one time in months. But the best part of all was the time spent with Jason. Sure, he was much older than Rose (by at least ten years, she guessed), but he was kind and funny and the way he cared for Sarah Jane was the most attractive feature about him. Maybe his facial features were a bit rough – big ears and a nose worthy of a Roman statue – but he was tall and fit. And the way his bum looked in his dark denims was awakening an appetite in Rose that no Wonder World buffet could satisfy. Rose shook her head, admonishing herself for going down that road with someone she had only met a few hours before.

As the kids finished their desserts, Sarah Jane checked her watch and reminded the group that the fireworks would start in ten minutes. Jason disappeared from the table to pay the bill for the party of four (having planned to do so all along; the free meal for Jack and Rose was just a ploy to get them to have dinner together. The tip he'd given that Wonder World employee with the made up story about free dinner was worth it.). They then headed to the elevator and up to the 14th floor where Jason and Sarah Jane's suite was. Rose noticed that Jason had to swipe his Wonder Bracelet to gain access to the exclusive floor.

When they walked into the hotel room, it was nothing like Rose had expected. Instead of a single room with two beds and a bathroom, Rose walked into a living area and small kitchen of a luxury suite. The décor was modern yet elegant, with clean lines and reflective surfaces. The color palette was earthy neutrals with pops of bright yellow and green accents. Jack ran to the opposite side of the room to look out the floor to ceiling windows, his mouth agape with the word "Wow!" Sarah Jane followed him as Jason headed into the kitchen.

"Sarah Jane," Jason called out, "Why don't you and Jack go out to the balcony and set up the chairs for optimal firework viewing?"

"Okay, Daddy," Sarah Jane replied.

"I'm going to make a cuppa; would you like one?" Jason asked Rose.

Rose suddenly realized that she hadn't moved an inch since stepping inside the hotel suite. She shook off her shock and replied "Yes, please." Rose moved to lean on the bar of the kitchen. After a few moments of silence, Rose spoke up. "Thanks for dinner tonight," she said a bit sheepishly.

"I don't know wh…" Jason began, but Rose stopped him with a hand up.

"It's okay. I know that our dinner tonight was your doing," Rose explained. "Seeing Jack with some of his favorite characters are priceless memories for us; it's something I could have never afforded on my own," Rose admitted.

Jason stood in front of Rose, with only the narrow kitchen bar between them. He looked into her eyes and responded. "I figured as much. Please don't be offended; didn't do it out of charity, me. I've enjoyed getting to know you both today and I just wanted to see Jack's face light up one more time before the day ends. And, it's always better with two more people to share a meal with. Especially two people like you and Jack."

Rose blushed a little at Jason's admission. Just then, the kettle began to whistle and Jason moved to prepare the two cups of tea. As they walked out to the balcony, they found that Sarah Jane and Jack had set up four chaise lounge chairs in a row facing the princess castle where the fireworks would be fired off from. Jack and Sarah Jane had already claimed the two on the left, each one cuddling one of Sarah Jane's Rickey and Romana dolls. Rose and Jason moved to sit in the other two. Rose didn't miss how Jason surreptitiously moved his chaise closer to Rose's.

Just then, the music from Wonder World grew louder and laser lights filled the sky. The fireworks show was about to begin. The show lasted nearly 30 minutes and at some point during it, Rose and Jason's hands had found each other and their fingers were intertwined as they watched the twinkling lights pop and glow above them. Anyone watching the couple would have wondered if the pink tint of their skin was from blushing or the glowing embers overhead.

As the finale of the show came to an end and the smoke floated away, Rose and Jason released their hands and looked over at their children. Both were fast asleep with sweet smiles on their faces.

"I can't believe they fell asleep," Rose whispered.

"I know; it would be a shame to move them," Jason replied.

Rose glanced at him and then looked down at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing around. She didn't want to say goodbye yet and Jason was clearly offering her an alternative, but logic won out and she decided it was best to call it a night and return to their hotel before she let things go too far too fast. She moved to wake up Jack when Jason stopped her.

"Wait," he said. "Let me call down to the front desk and ask them to arrange a van to take you back to your hotel." Rose cringed at the thought of what that might cost. Sensing her stress, Jason quickly continued. "We're on the concierge level of this hotel. They'll do anything I ask just because of where my room happens to be." Rose nodded her head and Jason went back inside the suite to phone downstairs. Rose walked over to the railing and gazed out at Wonder World lit up with colorful twinkling lights. The Rickey Railway passed almost noiselessly in the distance.

A few minutes later, Jason returned and joined Rose at the railing. "The van will be ready in 20 minutes," he told her. They stood there in silence for a bit, watching the night sky continue to darken and a few bright stars overpowered the light pollution of Wonder World. Neither Jason nor Rose wanted the night to end and wished they could stop time just to stay like this a bit longer. Eventually, Jason's internal clock told them that 20 minutes had passed and it was time to say goodnight to their new friends. Rose sensed it too and moved to pick up sleeping Jack from his chaise.

As she approached the door to leave the suite carrying Jack in her arms, she turned back to Jason to utter her thanks one more time. Jason knew he wanted to see them again tomorrow and asked as much.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?"

"I think we'll go to Studio World and ride the Battle Star ride. Jack loves those movies and he's been talking about that ride. May see a few shows too while we're there," Rose paused, waiting to see if Jason would ask to come along. When he didn't, Rose offered, "Would you like to join us? Today was a lot of fun for the kids and it would be nice to have the company again…"

"Yes!" Jason replied, cringing internally at his exaggerated enthusiasm. He tried to tone it down a bit and continued "We'd love to join you at Studio World. Sarah Jane has challenged me on the Toy Tale game and it's time to prove my skills in battle." Jason smiled widely and Rose wondered if he was just a 5-year-old in a grown-up's body.

"Great! See you when it opens at 9?"

"Yep!" Jason's grin morphed into something akin to deep affection as he opened the suite door and Rose stepped out into the hallway.

"Good night, Jason," Rose smiled gently.

"Good night, Rose." Jason watched Rose carry Jack down the hall and step into a waiting elevator. He returned to the balcony just in time to see Rose load Jack into the Wonder World van and watch it drive away from the front of the hotel. He picked up Sarah Jane and tucked her into bed, pausing only to remove her socks and shoes before wrapping the duvet around her.

That night, Jason fell asleep with thoughts of Rose and how quickly she was finding a way into his heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Rose and Jack met up with Sarah Jane and Jason the next morning. They spent the day riding rides based on famous movies and American television shows and watching stage shows. As the afternoon wore on, the relentless heat began to take its toll on Rose. Although she'd eaten well at the buffet dinner the night before, she hadn't eaten anything else since, saving her funds for Jack and the possibility of other meals with their new friends. She also hadn't been drinking enough fluids and as they stood in line for yet another ride, the world began to spin and Rose lost her balance, nearly collapsing to the ground if Jason hadn't noticed the sudden change in her color and the focus of her eyes. Jason caught Rose in his arms and laid her gently on the ground, moving two fingers to her neck to check her pulse. Jack looked panicked to see his mother in this state.

"It's okay, Jack," Jason assured him. "It's a hot day today and I think your mum just needs a break, some water, and a snack."

Sarah Jane sprang into action. "Let's go get her something to eat and drink from that snack cart we passed on the way here!" She tugged Jack along with her and Jason made a mental note to applaud her later for her quick thinking.

Jason moved to cradle Rose's head into his lap and brushed her hair from her face. The change in position allowed the blood to flow back to Rose's head. She looked around a bit bewildered at how she ended up where she was. When she saw Jason's concerned face over hers, she tried to sit up, but Jason held her steady, "Easy there, Rose, just lay back for a bit until you can eat and drink something, yeah? Doctor's orders," giving Rose a cheeky grin that she tried but failed to return.

By now, a member of the staff arrived to offer assistance. "I'm a doctor," Jason explained. "I think she's suffering from a bit of exhaustion and dehydration, that's all."

"I've got a cart on the way here that can take your party to the first aid station," the friendly female staff person explained.

"Thank you…" Jason paused to squint and read her name tag "….Lynda. That'll be perfect."

Sarah Jane and Jack returned with a Rickey-shaped pretzel and a large bottle of ice-cold water. Jason opened the bottle and helped Rose take small drinks. He also poured some of the water on a handkerchief from his pocket and rested the cold compress on Rose's forehead. Then he began tearing off small pieces of pretzel for Rose to eat. The color was already returning to face. Jack stood close by and whispered, "Is she going to be okay?"

"Oh yes," Jason replied, smiling. "But, we might want to take a break for the rest of the day." Jack's face fell as he warred internally between taking care of his mum and staying to play in Studio World. Sensing this, Jason offered, "Once Rose is feeling well enough, why don't we all go back to our hotel and go swimming? I hear there's a huge water slide…"

The children jumped up and down, but Rose managed to whisper, "we don't have any bathing suits."

"That's okay. The little shop in our hotel sells them for both kids and adults," Jason winked at her. "Love a little shop, me."

The Wonder World cart arrived and whisked the group to the first aid station where Rose finished her water, plus another one and the rest of the Rickey pretzel and a banana. The medical staff distracted the kids with Rickey and Romana sticker activity books and playsets.

Once Jason was happy with Rose's improved vitals and condition, they headed back to the hotel to swim. Jason held Rose's hand nearly the entire ride on the Rickey Railroad, claiming he could monitor her heartrate that way, but really he just wanted reassurance that she was close by in case she fainted again. He had insisted that he buy them all bathing suits, claiming it was his fault that they had been going non-stop at Studio World and neglected to make sure everyone was properly hydrated.

As Rose and the kids changed into their suits and reapplied their sunscreen, Jason secretly called down to the front desk to reserve a pool-side cabana for the rest of the day, complete with a mini-fridge filled with cold beverages, a large fruit and cheese tray, and a cold-water misting system to keep them all cool in the Florida heat. He simply couldn't resist the internal urges that compelled him to take care of Rose and Jack.

On the way down to the pool they passed what looked like an arcade. "Oh Mummy, Jason, look! That looks like so much fun! Can we go there after swimming?"

Looking back at the area, Jason remembered seeing mention of a drop-off child care area for hotel guests. "Well, if it's okay with your mum, I don't see why not. It's actually a kids-only area, so you two can go play there while I take Rose to dinner tonight," he suggested with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Rose tried to decline, not because she didn't want to have dinner alone with Jason. After everything they'd been through the last 24 hours, she desperately wanted some one-on-one time with him, but she also didn't want to continue relying on Jason's generosity. "Oh, can I, Mum? Can I?" Jack begged. Rose knew she couldn't turn him down.

"Okay…" she agreed. Jason's eyes lit up as brightly as the children's. He had been expecting some resistance, but was happy to see that her resolve was thinning when it came to spending time with them.

As soon as they were inside the pool's fenced area, Jack and Sarah Jane took off for the water slide. Jason ushered Rose over to their private cabana. Again, Rose looked around in shock. She never thought in all her wildest dreams that she'd come to Wonder World and end up feeling like a princess herself.

"Jason," she spoke, "this is too much! You're making me feel guilty."

"What for?" Jason asked. "As much as I love spending time with Sarah Jane, we can get on each other's nerves. And you've rescued me from endless princess shows and sing-alongs. Least I can do, this is."

"I don't know how I'll ever repay you for all this," she said as she motioned to her new Romana Rodent bathing suit and the posh cabana.

"Just seeing you smile and hearing you laugh is payment enough," Jason answered sincerely, taking Rose by the hand and pulling her over to a padded chaise lounge close to the snacks. Rose sat down and picked up a strawberry to eat while Jason pulled two bottles of water from the fridge.

Jason and Rose sat in the cabana for a bit, watching the children play in the pool. At one point, Jason disappeared to talk to their cabana hostess. A short time later, the waitress returned, "You're all set for dinner tonight, Dr. Tempest. I've secured reservations for two at the Observatory at 7pm this evening. And child-care has been arranged as well."

"Great! Hear that, Rose? We've got dinner reservations for tonight!" Jason announced proudly. Rose smiled until she realized that she would have to go to dinner in her sweaty clothes from their day at Studio World. Even if she went back to her hotel to change, she didn't bring anything suitable for a fancy dinner out. Rose tried not to let that bother her while they enjoyed an afternoon by the pool.

By 5:30, Jason ordered the kids out of the pool to come dry off and eat some pizza he had delivered to the cabana. By 6:30, everyone headed back up to the suite to change into dry clothes. Jason peaked into the wash room off the entryway and smiled. Just as he had requested, the staff had picked out and delivered a sundress in Rose's size with a subtle Rickey Rodent pattern on it. Jason walked back out to Rose and spoke softly to her "Have one more surprise, me. It's waiting in the washroom for you."

Rose looked surprised and confused back at him. She walked cautiously into the room and spied a garment bag with her name on it. She opened the bag and gasped at the sundress inside and the delicate pair of sandals sitting on the ground under the bag. Jason had thought of everything! Rose tried not to feel guilty. She hadn't told Jason yet, but this was his last chance to spend his money on her and Jack. Tomorrow was their flight home to London and back to the reality of the estate.

Rose quickly changed her clothes and used the complimentary toiletries to wash the sweat and chlorine from her face and apply some fresh deodorant and lightly scented lotion. Her makeup had long since disappeared and she tried not to feel to subconscious about that. She heard Jason call to her through the door, "The kids are anxious to get to the arcade, so I'll just run them downstairs and then come back to escort you to dinner." Rose could picture his waggling eyebrows as he spoke. She couldn't contain her giddy giggle.

"Okay," Rose called out. She opened the door a crack for Jack to give her a hug and kiss and tell her she looked pretty and then he ran out the door to meet Sarah Jane.

When she heard the suite door click shut, she walked out into the empty suite and wandered over to the floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking Wonder World. She watched the endless traffic of buses, trains, and boats shuffling people back and forth as the sun inched toward the horizon. She heard the door lock deactivate and turned just as Jason walked back into the room. He paused when he saw Rose standing by the window, her silhouette aglow from the late afternoon sun. She looked almost ethereal like that and his heart skipped a beat or two.

"Blimey!" Jason exclaimed. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," Rose blushed. "And not just for the compliment. Thank you for the dress and the shoes. I was worried about looking out of place at dinner tonight."

"Nonsense," Jason said. "You'd make a potato sack look beautiful!" He approached Rose and offered her his elbow. "Miss Tyler, may I take you to dinner?" He grinned.

"Why, yes, Dr. Tempest. You may," Rose grinned back.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose and Jason took the elevator to the top floor restaurant with 360 degree views of Wonder World and the surrounding parks and hotels. A hostess escorted them to an intimate table near the windows overlooking the princess castle. With some extra explanations from Jason to help Rose decide from the menu of exotic foods she'd never had before, Rose decided on a seared duck breast entrée and Jason selected the filet mignon. He also ordered a bottle of champagne for them to share.

The waiter opened the champagne and poured a glass for both. Jason picked up his glass, toasting to their new friendship.

"So, Rose Tyler," Jason said after taking a sip of his drink. "Tell me more about yourself."

Rose wasn't sure where to begin. "What would you like to know?"

"Whatever you'd like to tell me, really. I mean, all I know so far is that you're from London, you have a son named Jack, and you like to stick to a budget, even at your own detriment," he teased with a smile on his face. "Oh… and Jack may have mentioned that his father pulled a runner before he was born."

Rose covered her face in embarrassment. "Yes, that's all true. I grew up on a council estate. It was just me and my mum. My dad died when I was a baby. He was hit by a car crossing the street. Had a normal estate life growing up. Mum is a hair dresser and did her best to support us. And then I met Jimmy, Jack's dad. He had a band and I thought I was in love. I was just young and stupid really. And when I got pregnant, Jimmy ran off. It's okay though; we're better off without him. He had a drinking problem and I think he was starting to get into drugs. Mum always says, 'Good riddance to bad rubbish'." Rose paused, smiling at the image of her mum. She hadn't realized how much she would miss her mum while they were on this trip. "Jimmy's name isn't even on the birth certificate. That was Mum's idea. Anyway, after Jack was born, I decided that we couldn't stay in Mum's flat anymore. It just wasn't big enough for the three of us. So, I got a couple of jobs and saved up enough money to move into another flat on the estate."

"When did you decide that you wanted to bring Jack to Wonder World?"

"A long time ago – when he was two. I saw a commercial for it and decided that if I set my mind to it and saved up as much as I could, I could make it work. I knew that Jack wouldn't have all the toys and games and experiences that most kids have with two working parents, so I wanted to give him something special and prove to him that if you work hard, you can make dreams come true." Rose smiled thinking about how she had accomplished the goal she set three years before. She looked at Jason's face and saw his eyes twinkling with admiration for her. She cleared her throat, feeling a bit awkward with all the attention on herself. "What about you? When did you decide to bring Sarah Jane to Wonder World?"

"Probably about the same time as you," Jason explained. "Although I was using it as a bribe to convince Sarah Jane to learn to talk."

"Learn to talk? You mean she wasn't talking at two years old?"

"Nope. She was diagnosed with a neurological condition called dyspraxia (although, here in America they call it Childhood Apraxia of Speech)," Jason explained.

"Didn't one of the Harry Potter actors admit to having dyspraxia recently?"

"Yep, the very same."

"So, what is it?"

"It's what is called a motor-planning disorder. Basically, her brain works just fine and knows how to talk, but for whatever reason, the signal between her brain and her mouth gets jumbled up or interrupted. Until she was three, everything she said was just babble. It wasn't until her diagnosis and we found the right expert and treatment plan that she started learning to talk. And since then, it seems like I haven't been able to get her to stop talking!" Jason laughed.

"You're right," Rose agreed. "I would have never guessed that she had trouble learning to talk."

"Yep. So, when she was two I told her that if she learned to talk, I promised to take her to Wonder World to meet Rickey Rodent. I never expected her to remember that promise, but she did and reminded me of it a few weeks ago. So, I called up a travel agent and she set up the whole trip for me. That's how we ended up in such a posh suite. Never would have picked that, me, but I guess the travel agent thought we'd prefer it. Or maybe that's all that was available on short notice. Oh well… if we hadn't had the suite, I may not have been able to convince you and Jack to come and watch the fireworks last night. So, the extra cost was worth it," Jason grinned cheekily.

Rose and Jason paused their conversation to refill their champagne and eat some of the warm fresh bread the waiter brought to the table. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Rose asked, "So, now you know about me. Tell me about you."

"Well," Jason began. "grew up near Manchester, me, as if you couldn't tell by my accent. My parents died about ten years ago – Dad had Alzheimer's and Mum had cancer. Had a brother, Braxton who was a bit younger than me. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were Sarah Jane's parents. They died in a car accident when Sarah Jane was just a few weeks old. How Sarah Jane survived the accident, we don't know. Should have killed her too. Elizabeth was an only child and her parents were elderly, so they sent Sarah Jane to live with me. Guess they figured a pediatrician was the best choice for her. And it's been just the two of us ever since. She's been my whole world…until recently." Jason looked at Rose with hesitation.

"Oh!" Rose realized that Jason was referring to her and Jack. She tucked her face down, hoping to hide the blush that had heated her face.

To avoid dwelling on that for too long, Jason decided to forge ahead. "What about you… have you dated anyone since Jimmy?"

"No. Jack has been my whole world, too." Rose chuckled and continued, "Although, my best mate Mickey offered to marry me when word got out that I was up the duff and Jimmy had pulled a runner. But I couldn't do that to Mickey. Sure, we've been friends all our lives, but he didn't deserve to be stuck with me for the rest of his life. He needed to go out and find the love of his life. And I think he has, based on how enamored he's been with this new girl Martha."

"Stuck with you? That's not so bad," Jason smiled.

"Ha!" Rose laughed. "You've only known us a couple of days. It's too early to say that yet."

Jason and Rose smiled happily at each other. A stranger in the restaurant probably would have thought them in love based on the twinkle in their eyes and the bit of pink coloring their faces. Before long, their food arrived and between delicious morsels, they talked about anything and everything – their childhood adventures, Jason's brief stint in the military and then medical school, Rose's various jobs over the years to help pay the bills and save for this trip. Conversation flowed easily and before they knew it, it was time for dessert. Rose ordered a warm chocolate cake and Jason ordered bananas foster, which was prepared tableside in a flamboyant display of culinary artistry and pyrotechnics.

After their plates were taken away, Rose and Jason enjoyed a cup of coffee and stared out over the now dark sky and illuminated castle. "So," Jason interrupted the quiet pause in conversation. "Where are you and Jack exploring tomorrow?"

Rose looked down and the table, not wanting to see Jason's disappointment or show any sign of her own. "Actually, we fly home tomorrow," she admitted.

Jason's face fell. "Oh," he muttered softly. "What time do you leave?"

"Our shuttle back to the airport leaves at 9."

"Well, can Sarah Jane and I come by in the morning to say goodbye?"

"I'd like that, and I know Jack would too." Rose chewed on her lip, unsure of what to say next now that the mood had turned somber. "What about you and Sarah Jane? What are you plans for the rest of your trip?"

"Not sure, me. We've got a few more days to kill; I'm sure we'll find something to do. It won't be the same without you and Jack, but it'll be alright… We're always alright." Jason said, trying to build up an emotional wall to hide some of his sadness and failing miserably at it. Jason reached across the table and took Rose's hand in his. "These last two days have been some of the happiest I've had in a long time and Sarah Jane was right. I think it's time I re-evaluate my extended bachelor status. When we get back to London, can I see you again?"

Rose smiled, "I'd like that."

"Fantastic!" Jason grinned madly.

As much as they didn't want their dinner to end, it was time to go downstairs and get the children from the arcade. As they waited for the elevator to take them back down stairs, Jason turned to Rose and asked "Rose, may I kiss you?"

Rose bit the corner of her lower lip and nodded subtly. Jason reached one hand up to cup her left cheek. Rose closed her eyes and nuzzled into his palm. Then she felt Jason's warm soft lips on the corner of her mouth, almost like he couldn't decide whether he should kiss her lips or her cheek and changed his mind at the last possible second. It was soft and sweet and perfect. They pulled back and opened their eyes, getting lost in each other's gaze until the elevator arrival ding separated them.

Rose and Jason headed downstairs and claimed Sarah Jane and Jack who were bouncing up and down, high on sugar and overly stimulated by the lights and activity of the arcade. Jason invited them back up to their suite for more fireworks, but Rose declined, citing the need for a good night's rest before their long day of travel back to London. Honestly, Rose wanted to put Jack in bed and then sink into a hot bath to try to comfort her and the overwhelming feeling of loss and sadness that was threatening to take over. When she booked this trip to Wonder World, Rose never imagined that it would have been a dream come true for both she and Jack. Jack had been able to enjoy rides and shows and meeting his favorite characters. And Rose had met a wonderful, generous, kind man who made her cheeks flush, her heart skip beats, and a her body feel a warmth she hadn't experienced in a long time, possibly ever if she really thought about it.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Rose woke up early, anxious to finish packing and be ready to go in time to catch their shuttle back to the airport. Although, if she was being honest with herself, she hadn't really slept much that night, her brain thinking about Jason.

Rose had just finished getting dressed and had turned on the telly to a Rickey Rodent's Treehouse episode when there was a soft knock at the door. When Rose answered the door, Jason and Sarah Jane greeted her. Jason had two bags in his hands.

"Good morning, Rose," Sarah Jane hopped up and down.

"Hi, Sarah Jane," Rose replied, opening the door. "Come in; Jack is on the bed watching Rickey Rodent's Treehouse." Sarah Jane rushed past Rose to jump on the bed next to Jack who was thrilled to see his friend.

Rose looked back at Jason who smiled goofily at her. He held out the first of the two bags. "You left your other clothes and bathing suits back in our suite, so I thought I'd bring them over before you finished packing your suit cases."

"Oh, right," Rose said, taking the bag from Jason. "Thanks."

"Aaand… I also brought breakfast. Couldn't let you set off on your long journey without proper nutrients," Jason explained, reaching into the second bag to pull out a selection of pastries and fruit.

"Thanks. That was sweet of you," Rose smiled, taking the items and setting them out on the small desk in their hotel room. They set up a picnic on the bed in front of the telly and ate breakfast while reminiscing about their Wonder World adventures and laughing at Rickey Rodent and his friends on telly.

Before they knew it, it was almost time to check out of the hotel. Rose helped Jack get dressed and quickly stuffed the rest of their belongings into the suitcases. Jack and Sarah Jane headed out the door, dragging the suitcases behind them while Rose did one more check through the hotel room to make sure she had packed everything. When she walked out the door, she ran right into Jason's muscular chest. She stumbled back a little and looked up at Jason. He glanced briefly down the hall to check and make sure Sarah Jane and Jack were out of sight, although their laughter could still be heard echoing down the hallway. Then, he turned back to Rose and bent down to kiss her. By the time Rose realized what he was doing, the kiss was over and she hadn't had time to react to reciprocate.

"I hope that was okay," Jason sighed. "I just wanted to give you a goodbye kiss while we had a moment alone."

"Yeah," Rose said. "It was nice." She paused. "You could do it again, if you want."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Before either one of them could change their minds, Jason leaned down to kiss Rose again and this time, she reciprocated, reaching her arms up to clutch at the back of his neck. She gently sucked on his lower lip and then opened her mouth to deepen the kiss.

Just as their tongues were about to explore each other's mouths, they heard "Mummy! Jason! Hurry up!" They separated and smiled at each other.

"Coming!" Rose managed to squeak out. Jason took her hand and they walked down the hall together. Rose hoped the blush on her face had faded enough to not be noticeable by Sarah Jane and Jack.

The airport shuttle was already waiting when they got to the hotel lobby. Sarah Jane and Jack exchanged hugs and then Rose bent down to say goodbye to Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane wrapped her arms around Rose's neck and sniffled. Jack shook Jason's hand and then climbed onto the bus. Rose hugged Jason next and as they separated he whispered in her ear, "See you soon."

Rose smiled and looked into Jason's brilliant blue eyes, "Not if I see you first." She turned and climbed on the bus to join Jack. As the bus pulled away, Rose and Jack waved out the window while Sarah Jane and Jason waved back.

Jason and Sarah Jane headed to Animal World after saying goodbye to Rose and Jack, but their hearts weren't in it. "You know, Daddy, it's just not the same without Jack and Rose."

"I agree, Sarah Jane," Jason admitted. "Wonder World was a lot more fun with those two, huh?"

"Yeah." Sarah Jane was silent for a few moments until she spoke the thoughts that had already been running through Jason's head. "How many more days until we can go home?"

"Well…." Jason feigned a moment to think about it. "our reservations last three more days, but I suppose we could always go home early. If you want."

Sarah Jane thought about it some more. "You know, Daddy, I've had a lot of fun, but I think I'm ready to go back to London."

"Me too, sweetheart," Jason admitted. "Let's have some lunch while we're here and then head back to the hotel and call the travel agent."

Jason spent an unreasonable amount of time that afternoon on the phone with Reinette, the travel agent, who simply couldn't understand why anyone would want to cut short their trip to Wonder World for no apparent reason. But in the end, she was able to get them tickets on a flight to London the next afternoon. Jason couldn't help but feel light hearted and excited at the prospect of seeing Rose again in just a couple more days. Jason couldn't believe how quickly she and Jack had found a place in his heart.

Meanwhile, Rose and Jack boarded their flight back to London. Rose's heart was heavy knowing it would be a while before she would see Jason again,. Part of her wondered if he'd even remember them when he got back to his life in London. He was a busy pediatrician, after all. Rose sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes, hoping to get some rest before she had to return to reality.


	7. Chapter 7

As they exited customs at the airport in London, Rose and Jack spotted Jackie waiting for them.

"What are you doing here, Mum?" Rose asked Jackie as she hugged her.

"I haven't seen you two in days! I couldn't stand to wait any longer," Jackie explained, as if the answer was obvious.

"Oh Gran! We had the best time!" Jack interrupted. And for the rest of the journey back to the estate, Jack talked Jackie's ear off about their adventures in Wonder World. When they arrived at Rose's flat, Jackie set about making tea while Rose helped Jack unpack his things and sort his laundry. The two souvenirs Jack had decided to spend his 20 pounds on were a small Rickey Rodent doll and a DVD of Rickey Rodent television specials and Wonder World behind-the-scenes clips. Rose agreed to let Jack watch the video while she and her mum used the time to catch up.

Rose joined her mum at the small breakfast table, tea ready and cooled to a tolerable temperature. Her mum looked at her expectantly and Rose replied, "What?"

"What?!" Jackie replied. "You know what! Who is this Sarah Jane and Jason bloke that Jack seems so enthralled with? Every other story from your trip was Sarah Jane this and Jason that."

Rose smiled and tried to hide her blush, but her mum saw right through her. "We met them at Wonder World. Sarah Jane is Jack's age and Jason is her father. They live in London and were vacationing at Wonder World." Rose proceeded to tell Jackie about the TARDIS ride and sending Jack and Jason on the ride together.

"You let a stranger take Jack on a roller coaster?" Jackie shouted.

"Well… he let me take his daughter to a princess show." Rose responded, realizing how silly she sounded. Looking back on it, Rose had to wonder what had she been thinking trusting her 5-year old son with a strange man, even if she did have his daughter.

"Really, Rose?" Jackie couldn't believe her ears. "You're barmy! He must be some fit bloke if he could so easily convince you to let Jack go with him alone."

"Mum!" Rose really couldn't hide her blush now. She could tell based on how hot her neck and chest felt suddenly. The image of Jason floated into her thoughts then and she realized just how fit Jason was – tall, broad shoulders, lean, muscular body like a runner might have, a strong profile. And although his ears were a bit big, they seemed to coordinate well with his face and frame.

Jackie ignored her daughter's outburst and continued. "I mean, I know it's been a while since you had a good shag, but that doesn't mean you let your blood flow away from your brain the first time a man tries to make a pull!" Rose shook her head, trying to forget the fact that her mum was talking to her about sex right now.

"Look, Mum, nothing happened, alright. Jack is fine; no harm done. And nothing happened between me and Jason either. Jason is a nice bloke and Sarah Jane couldn't be any sweeter. Honestly, meeting them made the last few days of our trip really special."

"Oh, I bet it did…" Jackie muttered. "So, are you going to keep seeing this Jason bloke? He is available right?"

"Yes, mum, he is available. He's never been married and never even had a serious girlfriend from the sounds of it. Sarah Jane came into his life not long after he established his medical practice, so he said he hasn't had any time to date. And even if he wanted to, Sarah Jane has been his priority these last five years. And I don't know if we'll see each other again." Rose paused, thinking about the last night at Wonder World and her date with Jason. "I mean, he has my number and all and he asked if he could see me again when we were all back in London, but he's a busy single father and a doctor, so I doubt he'll have time for a working single mum from the estate." Rose couldn't help but let her low self-esteem get the best of her. She'd come a long way fighting those internal demons that Jimmy had created in her, but she hadn't vanquished them all yet and sometimes, like right now, she couldn't ignore the way they tried to intrude in her mind again.

"Well, he'll be begging for a Prentice slap if he doesn't treat you and Jack right, that's all I know," Jackie said. No matter how old Rose got, Jackie was a fierce mama bear and would always protect her cub.

Rose and Jackie finished their tea while Rose told Jackie more about their trip to Wonder World.

If Sarah Jane had been excited to fly to Wonder World, Jason was shocked that she was even more excited to fly back to London. She talked Jason's ear off about all the playdates she and Jack could have and where all four of them could go on picnics and day trips.

"Now, Sarah Jane," Jason began when Sarah Jane stopped talking to finally catch her breath. "Remember that Rose and Jack have a life in London just like we do. Rose works a lot, so we might not get to see them as much or as often as you want, yeah?"

Sarah Jane deflated a bit, "I know, Daddy. I just hope they haven't forgotten about us."

"Oh, my sweat Sarah Jane," Jason wrapped the little girl in a hug. "No one could ever forget about you." _Now, me, on the other hand_ , Jason thought to himself, _nothing special, me. Rose won't want to get involved with an old man with a daft face like mine_. Jason tried to reassure himself that their date and hand-holding and stolen kisses weren't a dream. But maybe back in the reality of life in London, Rose would come to her senses and realize that she didn't want Jason in her life. He sighed and tried to distract himself from his negative thoughts with the in-flight entertainment.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning was Saturday and Rose woke up to the familiar sounds of Rickey Rodent's Treehouse. She smiled at her son's increased enthusiasm for the cartoon character since their trip to Wonder World. Rose climbed out of bed and wrapped herself in her old pink dressing gown and wandered into the kitchen to start the coffee pot. On the kitchen counter, Rose spotted evidence of Jack's self-made breakfast – a discarded honey-o and a few splotches of half-dried milk; thankfully, her mum had brought over a pint of milk the day before for Rose's coffee and Jack's cereal. Rose always appreciated Jack's efforts to be independent, especially if it meant Rose could spend a few more minutes in bed on a Saturday morning.

With her hot coffee in hand, Rose sat down next to Jack who was engrossed in Rickey Rodent's latest adventure. She took out her phone and started checking her email and social media accounts. An hour later, Rose told Jack to go get dressed so that they could run to Tescos for groceries.

Jack helped Rose ensure that they had everything they needed for the week and they headed home with arms weighed down with groceries. Just as they entered the flat and put down the bags in the kitchen, Rose's phone rang. Jack disappeared into his room to play, hoping he could take advantage of his mom's distraction to get out of putting away the groceries. Without glancing at the screen to see who was calling, Rose answered the phone and tucked it against her shoulder.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rose! Do you and Jack want to go on a picnic with us today?" replied a small child's voice on the other end. Rose was almost positive it was Sarah Jane, but that couldn't be right. They were still at Wonder World. Rose quickly glanced at the screen before tucking the phone back against her cheek. Yep; it was Sarah Jane calling from Jason's phone.

"Um, hi, Sarah Jane! Aren't you still at Wonder World?"

"No. Daddy and I decided to come home early. It wasn't any fun without you and Jack," the little girl confessed.

"Oh?" Rose was surprised by the girl's confession and wondered, "When did you get back?"

"This morning!" Sarah Jane replied enthusiastically. "Daddy is taking a nap; said he didn't get much rest on the plane."

"Oh, well, does he know that you are calling me?"

"Um…" Sarah Jane's silence spoke volumes to Rose. Jason had no idea that his daughter was inviting them for a playdate. Rose wondered whether she should commit to a picnic or wait until Jason could be involved in their plan. Just as Rose was about to suggest that Sarah Jane have Jason call back after his nap, Rose heard Jason's voice in the distance.

"Sarah Jane! Who are you talking too?"

"I'm talking to Rose!"

"Rose?!" Rose heard a series of noises, as if the phone was being clumsily passed between two people. Next came the unmistakable sound of Jason clearing the sleep from his throat. Rose stifled a giggle.

"Rose?"

"Hi, Jason."

"Hi!" Rose could tell by his voice that he was grinning widely. "Um… sorry about that. I didn't know Sarah Jane had my phone."

"It's okay," Rose tried not to sound dejected. Obviously, Jason hadn't wanted to talk to her if he was apologizing. There was an awkward pause in the conversation and eventually, Rose spoke up first.

"So… Sarah Jane said you decided to come home early from Wonder World."

"Yeah, we did," Jason replied. There was another awkward pause before Jason added, "Wonder World just wasn't the same without you and Jack. So, we thought… er… well…" Jason started to stutter nervously and Rose smiled, her heart soaring. "Um… we hoped that maybe we could spend more time with you both before the official end of our vacation."

"I think we'd like that," Rose replied.

"Really?" Jason was so nervous, he wanted to make sure he heard Rose correctly.

"Yeah," Rose replied. "I don't go back to work until Monday and we don't have any plans today or tomorrow."

"Fantastic!" Jason bounced on his feet, ready to jump out the door the moment they confirmed their plans. And then his brain froze, unsure of what to suggest they do.

"So… Sarah Jane mentioned something about a picnic?" Rose rescued Jason from his foggy brain.

"Right… a picnic. Yes! Um… how about we meet up at Hyde Park at 3? Let the kids play a bit and then we can have dinner."

"Sounds great," Rose agreed. "What can we bring? We just got back from Tescos…"

"Oh! Don't you worry about that! There's a great little café between our place and the park, so we'll just pick up some nibbles on our way to meet you."

"Um… okay…if you're sure," Rose agreed reluctantly.

"How about this? Next time, you can provide the nibbles, yeah?" Jason suggested.

"Okay, I can agree to those terms," Rose replied.

"Fantastic! See you in a bit!" Jason rang off.

Rose glanced at the time and realized that she had 20 minutes to change clothes and fix her hair and makeup before they would have to leave to catch public transportation over to Hyde Park. She quickly put the groceries away and rushed to her room to get ready, her heart beating double time at the thought of seeing Jason again.

Jack was thrilled when Rose told him about their afternoon plans. He stuffed a few matchbox cars into his pockets to take to show Sarah Jane and skipped happily next to his mum all the way to the tube station.

After he rang off with Rose, Jason picked up Sarah Jane and swung her around in a hug. "You're brilliant, you are!" he told her. He set her down, grinning from ear to ear, then rushed to his room to shave, brush his teeth and change his clothes. Sarah Jane gathered up her Rickey Rodent figures and a colorful duvet from the linen closet and stuffed them into her backpack to take to the park. They headed directly to the café to select the food that they would share with their friends at the park, Sarah Jane skipping all the way.

Sarah Jane selected a shady spot not far from The Long Water and Buckhill Playground and Jason sent Rose a text so that she and Jack would know where to find them. Ten minutes later, Sarah Jane jumped up from her seat next to Jason and ran full speed to Jack who was running a full speed to Sarah Jane. They ran right into each other and collapsed into a fit of giggles. Jason glanced up behind them to see Rose smiling at the children and their antics. The afternoon sun made it appear as if Rose was glowing, bathed in a golden light. The sight took Jason's breath away.

Jack and Sarah Jane headed off to the playground and Rose and Jason sat down on the blanket to watch them. "Jack was so excited when I told him that Sarah Jane had invited us on a picnic," Rose said, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah, Sarah Jane skipped all the way here," Jason agreed. "But, I'll admit, I was pretty excited too."

"Yeah?" Rose asked.

"Well, yeah! Jack is a lot of fun!" Jason teased. Rose feigned offense and then bumped her shoulder into Jason's. "I'm only teasing," Jason continued. "You're a lot of fun too."

"Yeah, apparently we're more fun than Wonder World," Rose teased back.

"Most definitely," Jason agreed.

After a few moments of quiet, Rose asked, "So, when do you go back to work?"

"Not for another week," Jason answered. "But since we came home a bit early, I told my assistant, Donna, that I was available for consults as needed. My colleague, Martha, is seeing my patients while I'm out. What about you?"

"I go back to work on Monday," Rose replied.

"You know, you told me at dinner the other night about some of your jobs you've had over the years, but I don't think you said what you do now," Jason observed.

"Oh…it's not much," Rose answered, feeling a bit ashamed about her job. "I still work at Henriks. But I've worked there long enough that I'm now an assistant buyer in women's fashion. It's mostly a weekday job, but it lets me have my weekends free to pick up extra shifts on the sales floor if I need them."

"A buyer? That must be tough work, having to anticipate the customers' interests from one season to the next."

"I guess… I never really thought about it like that. I mean, I read a lot of fashion magazines and try to follow the fashion shows in Europe, but I'm just an assistant. The final decision is approved by my boss," Rose explained.

"Well, if you're anything like my assistant, your boss would be nothing without you!"

Rose blushed at the compliment.

The conversation flowed more freely after that, mostly revolving around Sarah Jane and Jack as toddlers and their plans for school the upcoming school year. Sarah Jane and Jack returned to the blanket when their stomachs rumbled with hunger. They ate their picnic together and as soon as they had eaten their fill, the kids ran back off to play, leaving their parents alone again. Jason removed his leather jacket and balled it up to use as a pillow as he reclined back onto the blanket and suggested Rose do the same.

"I can't do that! Who would keep an eye on the kids?" Rose asked.

"They'll be fine. They know where we are and can scream if they need us."

"You're a much more carefree parent than I am," Rose felt a bit neurotic, but couldn't bring herself to move into a position where she couldn't watch Jack and Sarah Jane play.

"Nah! You're a mum. It's in your genetic code," Jason explained. "Science has proven that the maternal instinct is a survival necessity that is still very much needed, even in today's modern society."

"So, you're saying I can't help it if I'm a bit neurotic."

"Nope," Jason winked at her. "Can't control your ape brain."

Jason shut his eyes and relaxed a bit more, enjoying the weather and the comforting presence of Rose less than an arm's length away. He reached out blindly and instantly found Rose's hand. Rose turned her palm over to interlock her fingers with Jason's. Both breathed out, as if a part of them that had been missing was found.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Rose heard the unmistakable cry of an injured Jack. She stood up and rushed to the playground with Jason at her heels. As they approached the playground, they found Jack on the ground clutching his knee to his chest and Sarah Jane offering him sympathy.

"Jack, sweetheart, what happened?" Rose asked as she knelt down next to him.

"I fell and… hurt my knee," he said between sobs.

Jason removed Jack's hand from his knee to inspect the damage. "Sarah Jane, go get my jacket, will you?"

Sarah Jane ran off to the blanket and returned with the jacket. Jason rummaged in his pockets for a moment until he pulled at a small zippered pouch. He removed an alcohol pad, bandaid, and antibiotic spray and began to clean and bandage Jack's knee while Rose and Sarah Jane each held one of Jack's hands.

"There," Jason said when he was finished. "how's that? Does it feel better now?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "Thank you!" and he threw his arms around Jason's neck.

"Any time, my boy! Now… do you know what you should always do after you've skinned your knee?"

"No…"

"After you skin your knee, you should always… eat ice cream! Would you lot like to go get some ice cream?"

"Yeah!" Jack replied enthusiastically. He jumped off the ground as if nothing was wrong and took Sarah Jane's hand. "Come on, Sarah Jane, I'll share my ice cream with you!"

They began to skip away when Jason called out, "Oi! Wait just a minute. We've gotta pack up our picnic first."

Sarah Jane and Jack ran back over to the picnic spot and quickly packed up the blanket and leftover food by the time Rose and Jason made it back over to them. And true to his word, Jason treated them all to ice cream before inviting Rose and Jack back to their house for a bit more play time. Rose was glad for the invitation. She wasn't ready to go home yet and she was curious to see where Jason and Sarah Jane lived.


	9. Chapter 9

Jason and Sarah Jane lived surprisingly close to Hyde Park in a very posh area of London. Rose was growing increasingly uncomfortable in these surroundings, as if someone would spot her and tell her she didn't belong here. As they walked along the pristine streets lined with Victorian townhouses, Jason noticed Rose's discomfort and reached for her hand reassuringly. They looked at each other and smiled softly before returning their gaze to the children skipping happily in front of them. Jason's hand felt so perfect in hers and she felt some of her nerves calm a bit. That is, until they arrived at Jason's townhouse, with its pillared porch and crisp white stucco façade.

Jason dropped Rose's hand to get out his key and unlock the door, ushering everyone inside. Sarah Jane and Jack quickly disappeared up the stairs to play in Sarah Jane's room. Jason carried the picnic supplies down the hall that eventually led to the kitchen. Rose followed slowly, unable to go as fast as she glanced into the living and dining rooms on the left, wide staircase and marble washroom on the right. Rose had never been inside a home like this before. She silently hoped that Jack wouldn't break anything upstairs without her direct supervision.

Rose's thoughts were interrupted by Jason calling from the kitchen, "Would you like a cuppa?"

Rose followed the sound of his voice and replied, "Yeah, please." She walked through the doorway into a large, modern, eat-in kitchen. The light wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances coordinated perfectly with the white marble counter tops and subway tile backsplash and modern circular light fixture that could be a feature in a museum. A small table with chairs and benches was pushed against the wall on the far side of the room. Rose could see a private garden out the back door.

Jason was busy getting the tea ready and didn't notice Rose's thorough inspection of the room until she failed to answer his question. Rose realized a bit too late that Jason had spoken to her. She finally met his gaze and he repeated, "Would you mind getting down the biscuits? They are in the cabinet to the left of the oven," he instructed.

"Sure," she replied. Rose opened the cabinet to see a tin box of biscuits just out of her reach on an upper shelf.

Jason saw her struggling and came to her rescue, muttering, "Sorry… forgot I kept them up so high." He reached up to grab the tin, his front pressing against Rose's back. Feeling Jason so close to her caused Rose to close her eyes and lean back into him, tilting her head back slightly and reveling in how warm and perfect it felt. Jason froze when felt Rose lean into him, quickly setting the tin on the counter in front of Rose before he dropped it. When Rose remained still against him, Jason moved his hands over her forearms as they rested on the countertop. His eyes closed as well and he nuzzled his face into the side of Rose's head, breathing in deeply and releasing his breath as he whispered her name.

Feeling Jason's breath on her ear gave Rose the bravery she needed to turn her head enough that she could bring her lips to his in an awkward kiss. It was soft and chaste at first, until Rose twisted her arm up to grab Jason by the back of his head and deepen the kiss. Jason moved his hands to Rose's waist and turned her to face him, pressing her against the counter with his hips. They stayed like this for only seconds, although it felt like longer, until they were interrupted by the kettle.

Jason cupped Rose's cheek, "Thank you. Been wanting to kiss you all afternoon, me." He smiled and turned back to the kettle to finish fixing the tea. Rose stayed motionless against the counter, trying to regain her balance after such a knee-weakening kiss. By the time she was able to walk again, Jason was carrying two mugs of tea to the table where he had already set out the cream and sugar. Rose followed with the tin of biscuits.

They sat at the table, fixing their tea in silence. Once their teas were ready but still too hot to drink, Jason broke the silence, "Thanks for coming on our picnic today. I know Sarah Jane was desperate to see Jack again."

"Yeah," Rose agreed, "those two have become instant friends."

"Well, it's to be expected," Jason replied, "seeing how well their parents get along." Jason smiled cheekily at Rose. Rose looked away but bumped her shoulder into Jason.

After a bit more awkward silence between them, Jason took a deep breath to steady himself and spoke again, "I don't really know what I'm doing, Rose. Haven't really dated much, me. All I know is that I really like being with you and… I'd like to see you as much as you'll let me."

Rose smiled and looked Jason in the eye, "I really like being with you too," Rose replied, "and I'd like to see more of you too."

"Fantastic!" Jason grinned giddily. "Well, I've got the next week off. And then after that, I usually only work during the week with a couple weekends a month "on call" in case the hospital needs me." Jason explained.

"Sounds similar to my schedule at Henriks," Rose observed.

"Great! My neighbor's daughter is attending Uni nearby, so she's my go-to whenever I need someone to watch Sarah Jane for me, although that's only ever been when I had to work outside of daycare hours. I'm sure she wouldn't mind watching Jack too; might prefer it, actually, since it means Sarah Jane will have someone her own age to play with."

"Mum is usually available to babysit Jack with enough advance notice. She wants to meet you soon any way."

Jason choked briefly on his tea. "Your mum knows about me?"

Rose giggled, "Couldn't stop Jack from talking about his new best friend, so I had to tell her the whole story. I thought she'd have a coronary when I told her about letting you take Jack on the TARDIS."

"Oi! I let you take Sarah Jane to see the princess show!"

"How could I forget? I'm still singing those songs in my head!"

Rose and Jason continued their flirty banter while they drank their tea. Eventually, Rose noticed the darkening skies outside and announced it was time for her and Jack to head home. Jason and Sarah Jane watched them walk away until they turned the corner out of sight. As Jason shut the front door of their house, Sarah Jane began planning their next adventure with Rose and Jack. Little did she know that Jason already had some plans in mind.

The following week, Jason took Rose to lunch or stopped by Henriks nearly every day. On Monday, his excuse was because Sarah Jane had insisted that her shoes didn't fit right anymore and she needed a new pair. When his back was turned, Sarah Jane disappeared and he panicked until he heard Rose's familiar voice announce that his lost "item" could be found at the management office. Sarah Jane had run off to find Rose just in time for Jason to invite Rose to join them for lunch.

On Wednesday, Jason discovered that all his socks had mysteriously developed holes and needed replacing. On the car ride to Henriks, Sarah Jane managed to snag Jason's phone and ask Rose to meet them and help him pick out socks.

And on days he didn't visit, Rose received a delivery of flowers or chocolates. One particular special delivery came Thursday in the form of two tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on Saturday evening with a note that read:

 _You alone can make my heart take flight. Say you'll accompany me to dinner and the theater on Saturday. Pick you up at 6?_

Rose smiled. She'd always wanted to go to the theater, but the price was a luxury she could never afford. Payday was the next day, so Rose pulled a gown from a new delivery of merchandise and set it aside with her name on it. Then she sent a text to her mum to make sure Jackie could babysit Jack while she and Jason went out. Rose's mum agreed and then offered to help Rose with her hair.

Rose loved going to the theater, although she didn't remember much about the show. She had been too distracted by Jason in his charcoal gray suit and having him so close to her to pay much attention to the stage.


	10. Chapter 10

Jason, Rose, and the children settled into a routine – dinner together on Fridays (usually pizza and a movie at Jason's place); picnics on Saturdays or Sundays if the weather was nice; date nights for Rose and Jason on Saturdays; family dinner at Jackie's on Sundays. Rose was nervous the first time Jackie met Jason, and in all honesty, Jason was terrified leading up to it. But in the end, Jackie was on her best behavior, asking the probing personal questions only once the children were distracted in another room of her small flat, and stopping when Rose's tolerance for embarrassment had reached its limit.

When his schedule allowed, Jason would meet Rose during her lunch break at Henriks, or he'd drive her home in the evening and save her the commute on the tube. On the outside, the couple appeared to be comfortable with each other and "arse over kettle" for the other, according to Jackie. They had finally reached a point in their relationship where Rose was comfortable with quick kisses in front of the kids, but anything resembling a snog was saved for situations where there was no risk of either child walking in on them. Beyond that, nothing. Beneath the surface of their relationship there was a growing sexual tension – a burning need that if not satisfied soon, would result in something catastrophic (or at least really risky in a public place).

One Tuesday evening four months after returning from Wonder World, Jackie had invited herself over to Rose's flat for tea after Jack was in bed. They sat at the table drinking their tea when Rose suddenly realized that her mum had been speaking and she hadn't heard her.

"What?" Rose asked

Jackie sighed loudly, "I said… how are things going with Jason?"

"Fine," Rose replied, not really wanting to get into this subject with her mum.

"Rose Marion Tyler," her mother admonished. "You can't fool me. I can tell something's bothering you. And Sunday night, Jason seemed wound so tight, I thought I'd need a knife to cut through the tension between you two."

"Really, Mum, everything is fine. It's just… well…" Rose paused. Normally, she would have evaded any discussions of intimacy with her mum, but Jackie was right. Before Rose could pick the right words, her mum pushed on.

"What's the problem, sweetheart? Are things not… you know… _satisfying_ for you?" Jackie hoped Rose would understand her meaning and not have to spell it out for her.

"Um… I mean… he's great, yeah? So sweet and caring and Jack loves him. But…"

"Well, that's a shame. He's such a fit bloke, I would have thought he'd be good in the sack, but I guess he's too inexperienced…"

"What?!" Rose interrupted. "Mum… that's just it. I don't know what he's like 'in the sack'. We've not been… um… intimate… yet."

"What?!" it was Jackie's turn to interrupt. "You've not shagged each other yet?! No wonder the tension is so thick between you two! What the hell is wrong with 'imself that he hasn't bedded you yet?"

"Mum! You make it sound like I'm some conquest. And there's nothing wrong with him. I mean… we want to, yeah? We just… haven't found the right moment…"

"What do you mean you haven't found the _right moment_? You're out together every Saturday night!"

"Yeah, but we can't very well have sex with Jack or Sarah Jane sleeping in the next room…"

"Why the bloody hell not?" Jackie was beginning to lose her patience with Rose.

"What if they walked in on us? Or heard us?" Rose's voice faltered. Her excuses were beginning to sound ridiculous even to her.

"Then you lock the door and keep it quiet. Seriously, Rose, since when have you turned into such a prude? Your father and I had sex all the time and when you were a baby, sometimes even with you asleep in the same room!" Jackie's confession made Rose blush and nauseous all at once.

"Mum… it's not just that. I'm worried about how things are… different… down there. You know… since Jack…" Jackie's faced morphed into one of great sympathy and understanding at her daughter's confession. Suddenly she felt a bit guilty for not doing her motherly role of reassuring her daughter of her body's changes after her grandson was born.

"Oh, sweetheart," Jackie reached out to take Rose's hand. "I know that Jack's quick birth did a number on you physically, but that was over five years ago. Things have certainly healed by now. And yeah, it might be a bit tight and uncomfortable at first, but that won't last long, as long as 'imself does his job well and gets you ready for him," Jackie's face morphed again, this time from sympathy and cheeky.

"Mum!" Rose's cheeks flushed at her mum's advice, but deep down she knew her mum was right. Rose needed to get over her nerves and just go for it! Now to just figure out when.

Then Jackie offered, "Look, how about Jack and Sarah Jane come over to my place Saturday night for a sleepover. I know they've been begging for one and then you two can have the night alone, yeah?"

"Are you sure?"

"Course I am! I can handle Jack and that sweet Sarah Jane for 24 hours. We'll have a blast. And by Sunday dinner, you two will have finally worked out all that tension and dinner will be much more pleasant for all of us."

Rose was a ball of mixed emotions – nervous about her mum having two kids overnight, anxious to finally be alone and intimate with Jason, scared but excited to take things the next step. She hadn't been this nervous her first time with that arse Jimmy Stone.

"Okay," Rose agreed. "I'll talk to Jason and see what he says."

"Good!" Jackie replied, satisfied to have finally gotten to the bottom of things and that a solution was in sight. She didn't think she could sit through another family dinner with these two idiots and their unresolved sexual tension. She got up, put her mug in the sink, kissed her daughter goodnight and then made her way back to her flat.

Rose got ready for bed and sent Jason a text.

Jason was just settling into bed with a book to read when his phone vibrated with a text message. He glanced at the screen and his heart sped up,

 _Rose: Can you talk?_

Jason immediately dialed her number. When Rose answered, Jason skipped any greeting and went right to the point, "Rose, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she replied. "I just wanted to ask you something."

"Okay, what is it?" Jason's anxiety dropped a notch or two.

"Well, Mum has offered to have Sarah Jane and Jack over to her place Saturday night for a sleepover." Rose paused and the wheels in Jason's head turned quickly when he realized what Jackie was offering.

"Oh?" Jason couldn't help the breathy quality of his voice. He knew exactly what Jackie's offer meant – he'd have Rose all to himself for the night without having to worry about getting home at a certain time or, better yet, waking up the kids with certain activities. Jason realized he'd been quiet too long and continued, "That's very nice of Jackie; I'm sure Sarah Jane will be thrilled. I'll tell her first thing in the morning."

"Great!" said Rose, trying not to let her nerves show in her voice.

"Everything else okay?" Jason asked, trying to figure out why Rose sounded so funny.

"Yeah, everything's great. I'm just um… excited to see you this weekend."

"Me too," Jason smiled.

"Great! Well, I guess we'll see you Friday for movie night, as usual?" Rose asked.

"Wouldn't miss it!" Jason replied.

They exchanged goodnights and rung off.


	11. Chapter 11

Friday night, Rose couldn't help the nerves she was feeling. Although it wasn't the sleepover night, it was still the first time she'd seen Jason since the sleepover invitation. They'd exchanged texts and brief phone calls during the week, but both had been too busy at work to meet up for lunch. Rose was a bit jumpier than usual, especially when Jason was in close proximity to her, but she couldn't help it. All she could think about was what it would be like to have him next to her, on top of her, under her, skin-to-skin, exploring each other's bodies and finally giving in to the sexual tension that had been building for months. More than once, Rose had to excuse herself to visit the loo and splash cold water on her face. Jason was clearly concerned about her, but didn't make a fuss in front of the children, opting instead to text her later that evening.

 _Jason: I couldn't help noticing that something was bothering you tonight. I hope it's nothing I have said or done._

 _Rose: Sorry… was it that obvious? I'm just a little bit nervous about tomorrow night._

Rose's phone buzzed as Jason called her rather than text her back. As soon as she answered the phone, Jason spoke, "Rose, I hope you don't think I'm pressuring you. We don't have to do anything tomorrow that you're not ready for."

"I know," Rose responded. "And it's not that I'm not ready. I'm just a bit nervous. It's been a long time since I last _danced_ with anyone and my body is different since having Jack…."

"Rose," Jason interrupted. "Your body is beautiful and I can't wait to show you how beautiful you are. It's been a long time for me too, but no matter what, it will be perfect because it's us. You and me, yeah? Shiver and Shake?"

Rose laughed and the nervous tension eased a bit. "Which one of us is Shiver?" Rose asked.

"We'll find out tomorrow night," Jason responded in a low voice.

Rose giggled again as a blush appeared on her cheeks, "I guess so."

Rose went to bed that night feeling a bit less nervous about her sleepover with Jason.

The next day, Rose took Jack over to Jackie's a couple hours early so that she could prepare herself. She shaved her legs and underarms (and other areas), plucked stray eyebrow hairs, and spent a little extra time fixing her hair and makeup. She packed an overnight bag, probably with a few too many things, but she wanted to be prepared. She included a set of royal blue lingerie that she bought at Henriks earlier in the week. They hadn't really discussed whose place they would spend the night at, but if Rose had her choice, she wanted to be as far away from the kids as possible, just in case Jackie brought them up to her flat for some reason. Plus, the walls of the estate were as thin as tissue paper and her neighbors didn't need to know what she was up to.

While Rose was primping, Jason was setting the scene for romance, placing candles around his bedroom and ensuite to light later, hiding condoms in strategic yet easy to reach locations (he made a mental note of those locations so that he could collect the unused ones on Sunday afternoon before Sarah Jane happened to find any of them), putting a bottle of wine in the fridge, showering and shaving. He got dressed and they left the flat early, hoping Jackie wouldn't mind.

When they arrived at Jackie's flat, Sarah Jane and Jack hugged each other and then ran off to build a pillow fort in the living room. Jackie invited Jason in for a cuppa and when he tried to decline, Jackie insisted.

"Don't try running upstairs to Rose's early. She's nervous enough as it is without you showing up when she's still primping," Jackie explained. Jason knew that Jackie knew what was going to happen tonight, but it didn't make things any less awkward.

They say down at the kitchen table to drink their tea in awkward silence. Eventually, Jackie put down her tea and looked intently at Jason.

"Look, Jason, I know you care about Rose and I'm glad you two can spend the night together," Jackie explained. "But, you need to know that Rose is nervous about this. The first time a woman has sex after having a baby is nerve-wracking enough when her partner is familiar to her. So, my advice to you – romance her, worship her, and for God's sake, make sure she's _ready_ for you. Got that?"

"Um…." Jason blushed and had to look away from Jackie's gaze. "Yeah, of course." He paused and took a deep breath before looking up to meet Jackie's gaze and continuing. "Rose is the most amazing woman I have ever met. I would never do anything to hurt or upset her. And I hope that tonight I can show her just how much she means to me."

Jackie smiled, satisfied with Jason's reply. Jackie glanced at the clock and said, "Well, then you better budge up and go get her. She's probably chewing on her nails waiting for you now."

Jackie shooed Jason from her flat after he kissed Sarah Jane goodbye. He walked quickly up to Rose's flat and knocked on her door, wiping his now sweaty palms on his pants.

Rose was beautiful and she took his breath away. She practically glowed – her hair was perfect and her makeup simple yet flattering. She smelled like vanilla and lavender and something else uniquely Rose. Jason smiled at her, frozen in place admiring her beauty.

"Hi," Rose smiled back.

"Oh, right, hi!" Jason continued to smile. "Blimey, you're beautiful. You get more beautiful every time I see you." He stepped forward into her flat, leaning down to kiss her passionately but quickly on her lips.

"Um, I know we didn't really talk about this, but I was hoping we could go back to your place tonight? I packed a bag and have everything I think I might need…" Rose explained.

"I think that's a great idea and exactly what I was thinking." Jason saw the overnight bag sitting in the hall and went to pick it up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Rose said, sticking her tongue out in her trademark grin.

Jason convinced Rose to pick up sushi on the way back to his place. Rose had never had sushi before, so Jason agreed to teach her all about it, including how to use chopsticks. While Rose took her bag up to Jason's bedroom, Jason set out the sushi on one large platter on the coffee table in the living room, poured some wine and lit a few candles around the room. He moved some cushions to the floor so that they could sit on the floor comfortably while they ate.

Rose had to admit that the sushi was delicious. Jason had selected the perfect variety of items with complex flavors that she couldn't help but savor. Rose struggled to use the chopsticks, so Jason opted to feed her bites himself. Eventually, Rose grew bold and used her fingers to feed Jason. As they fed each other, their bodies moved closer until eventually, Rose sat facing Jason between his legs with her legs wrapped around him. The intimate position allowed for Jason and Rose to share kisses and soft caresses between exotic bites of food and cool sips of wine. Eventually, their kisses outnumbered their bites of food and Jason suggested they do something different.

"Why don't you head upstairs to the bedroom? Just gonna clean up these dishes, me, and then join you in a bit."

"Okay," Rose agreed and headed up the stairs and into the ensuite to change. Her short satin gown was modest but accentuated her curves. It was royal blue with pink bow accents where the lace trim met the thin spaghetti straps. As Rose prepped in the ensuite, Jason quickly cleaned up downstairs and made his way to the bedroom, bringing a couple of the lit candles with him while extinguishing the rest. He heard the water running in the sink of the ensuite and decided to light a few more candles and turn on some soft music.

Just as Jason was removing his jumper, he heard the door to the ensuite open. He turned around and all thoughts of speaking or even breathing left him. Rose was radiant and quite possibly the sexiest woman he had ever seen. Sure, Jason had seen her in as little as a bathing suit back at Wonder World, but there was something about their romantic dinner and now having her here in his bedroom without the chance of a child interrupting them that made time stand still. He was completely overwhelmed and didn't snap out of his state of awe until Rose moved to cover herself, as if her near nakedness suddenly embarrassed herself. He stepped forward to take her hands and gently pull her out of the doorway and into the bedroom.

"Don't cover up, Rose," Jason said comfortingly. "You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Please don't hide from me."

Rose blushed under his scrutiny and Jason reached out to gently caress her cheek that had grown warm with its deepening color. Jason leaned in and kissed her gently. As their lips parted, he leaned his forehead against hers and took a deep breath, steadying himself for what he was about to say.

"Rose," he began, a bit breathlessly. "There's something I need to tell you." Rose's body stiffened and her stomach dropped. Suddenly, all her insecurities rose to the surface. This was it. The moment Jason would tell her his true feelings – that Rose was just a distraction and he didn't want her in his life anymore.

Sensing the tension in her body and seeing the color immediately leave her face, Jason quickly continued. "I should have told you this weeks ago. Always a coward, me. And I'm not just telling you now because you're here, in my bedroom, wearing….well… _that_." Jason gestured at Rose's lingerie and swallowed audibly.

Rose's body remained tense, still unsure of what Jason wanted to say. Jason reached up to cup her cheeks with both hands, directing her gaze into his heavenly blue eyes. "Rose Tyler…" he paused. "I love you. Have loved you for a while, me."

Rose's heart skipped a beat and her belly flipped. Just as her brain was about to start to function again and answer his confession of love, Jason's lips met hers again and all thoughts of answering him with her words disappeared. He loved her. Dr. Jason Tempest, successful pediatrician, loved her, Rose Tyler, the single mum who worked in a shop and lived on the estates. Their tongues began to dance as their bodies pressed together. Jason slowly moved them as one to the bed, gently lowering Rose to the bed and covering her body with his own.

Over an hour later, Rose's nude body relaxed across bare Jason's chest. Their legs were tangled together and Jason's arms encircled her, holding their sweaty bodies together. Neither was ready to separate from the other yet. They stayed like this as their bodies cooled and their breathing and heart rates returned to normal. Jason's hands began to rub circles along Rose's back. Rose relaxed further as she reveled in the afterglow. As the fogginess lifted from her brain, Rose remembered what Jason had told her before they made love. She lifted her head to look at Jason. She smiled softly at him and he returned her smile with one of his own. Rose saw the love in his eyes and was nearly breathless again with the depth of emotion she saw there.

Not wanting to lose another moment, Rose ran a hand through Jason's short hair and held it still when she reached the back of his neck. He had closed his eyes at Rose's touch, but opened his eyes again to meet hers.

"I love you, too," Rose confessed.

"Yeah?" Jason asked. His face erupted in a large, goofy grin.

"Yeah," Rose smiled widely.

Again their lips met in a passionate kiss. The two lovers held each other as if one of them would fall into a dark void if either one let go. They made love again later and fell asleep in each other's arms.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning, Rose awoke to the sounds of dishes clanging in the kitchen. She picked up Jason's discarded jumper and slipped it over her naked body. She headed into the loo and just as she was about to return to the bedroom, the noises in the kitchen were replaced with the unmistakable sound of teacups rattling rhythmically on a tray in time with the footsteps of the tray-bearer.

Rose opened the door from the ensuite just as Jason pushed open the bedroom door with his foot. Jason glanced at the bed and then toward the ensuite where he spotted Rose. They smiled at each other and Jason's eyes traveled down and back up when he noticed Rose's choice of clothing. Rose's eyes raked over Jason's form as well, taking in his bare chest, plaid pajama bottoms and what appeared to be a small bulge just below his waistband. Rose smiled with the tongue in her teeth, knowing that she was clearly the cause of his arousal.

Jason cleared his throat and carried the tray to the bed and Rose joined him there. "Thought you might like something to eat," Jason said, gesturing to the tray of bacon, eggs, toast and jam, and a small pot of tea.

"Ta," Rose replied. " 'm famished. Someone helped me work up an appetite last night." She winked at him and smiled with her tongue again. Jason's knees nearly buckled as the blood flow continued to be redirected to his groin.

"Yeah," Jason replied, pleased with himself and his ability to satisfy her. Rose and Jason climbed back under the duvet and rested the tray across their laps, sipping their tea and sharing bites of breakfast, much as they had with the sushi the night before.

Once the food was finished, Jason refilled their tea and moved the tray off the bed. They sat in silence, drinking their tea and thinking over the last few hours. Their hands reached for each other's under the duvet.

Finally, Jason was the first one to break the silence. "So," he began, and then cleared his throat. "Are you okay this morning? I didn't hurt you last night, did I?"

Rose smiled, remembering his gentleness and frankly brilliant lovemaking skills from the night before. "No, you were great. Brilliant, really."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Best I've ever had," Rose admitted. She was telling the truth. She had never had an orgasm during sex before and Jason had managed to make her fall over the precipice multiple times. She was about to tell him as much when he puffed out his chest and smiled goofily at her.

"Well, I aim to please," he said haughtily. Rose picked up her pillow and hit him across the chest with it. He caught it and quickly pounced on Rose, tickling her sides until their horseplay evolved into something far more intimate. This time, they shagged and laughed and finally felt completely at ease with each other.

Rose and Jason spent the rest of the day relaxing and snogging and just enjoying each other's company. As the midday sun moved slowly toward the afternoon, they shared a shower and got ready to head to Jackie's for Sunday dinner. Although they loved the uninterrupted time together, they both missed their kids terribly and were ready to be reunited with them. Jackie had texted photos, so they knew the children had had fun in their absence.

On the way to Jackie's, Jason insisted they stop for flowers and something to serve for pudding as a thank you to Jackie for keeping the children. Rose agreed and also picked up a bottle of her mum's favorite wine.

As soon as they walked in the door, Jason and Rose were nearly tackled by two excited children rambling a mile a minute about their sleep over adventures. Rose wondered if they were hyped up on sugar or lack of sleep from their night spent in a pillow fort, the remnants of which still littered the living area.

Jackie greeted them both with a hug and kiss, much to Jason's dismay, and assured them that the children had been angels for her and it was no trouble to keep them. She offered to do it again soon and then winked at Rose knowingly. Rose blushed and fussed, "Mum!"

"Don't 'Mum!' me, young lady," Jackie replied. "I can already see that one night together has been good for you both. Now I can actually enjoy my food without the threat of drowning in the unresolved tension." Jackie quickly retreated to the kitchen, leaving Jason and Rose to stammer in reply.

Dinner was a happy affair with Jack and Sarah Jane regaling the parents of their made up adventures as explorers traveling through time and space, capturing the bad guys and rescuing the good guys on alien planets all across the universe.

After pudding, Jason helped the kids clean up Jackie's flat while Rose helped her mum with the dishes. Jackie refrained from asking any details about Rose's night with Jason, which Rose was relieved about. The kids' energy was fading fast, so they all bid Jackie a good night. Jason and Sarah Jane escorted Rose and Jack upstairs to their flat. None of them were ready to say goodbye yet.

An hour later, Sarah Jane had fallen asleep on the sofa with Jack and Jason knew it was past time for them to head home. He kissed Rose goodnight, gathered Sarah Jane in his arms, and headed out the door and down the stairs to his car, but not before reminding Rose of his love for her and how he couldn't wait to see her again soon.

Rose tucked Jack into bed and decided to go on to sleep herself. That night, she dreamed of a white gown and wedding vows.

The days and weeks passed quickly. Jason and Rose managed to work regular sleep-overs into their routines. But, the time spent apart during the week was beginning to weigh on them both.

One Saturday evening at dinner, Jason asked Rose to move in with him. Rose wanted desperately to say yes, but she had Jack to think about and hesitated to take him away from his friends at school and the estate. She also didn't want to rush into any decision. So instead of answering Jason, she told him she would think about it and left it at that.


	13. Chapter 13

It was mid-January and the flu epidemic was raging through the country. Jack had woken up in the night with a fever, so Rose left him with her mum that morning, hoping to get a few hours of work done before taking Jack to the doctor. Unfortunately, Rose was unable to get an appointment for a few days and was instructed to take the boy to A&E if his symptoms worsened.

Rose called her mum at lunch to check in on Jack and was upset to learn that he hadn't eaten or drunk anything all morning. Rose never wanted Jason to feel used, but she was worried about Jack and decided to text Jason to see if he might give her some advice.

 _Rose: Jack is sick today and Mum said he hasn't wanted to eat or drink anything all day. Any advice?_

 _Jason: Donna is going to call you._

That was odd. Donna was Jason's office assistant. She'd met her a couple of times and wondered why Jason would have her call Rose. Before she could wonder for too long, Rose's phone rang.

"Hello?" Rose answered.

"Hi, Rose. It's Donna," the redhead announced. "Jason said that Jack isn't feeling well. Can you tell me his symptoms?" Rose summarized Jack's condition and Donna put her on a brief hold. When she came back, she explained that Jason would be finished seeing patients in an hour and asked Rose to come by the office and he'd take her home and look over Jack himself. Rose thanked Donna and rang off, anxious to finish her work quickly so that she could meet Jason in an hour.

An hour later, Rose and Jason headed to the estate, parking a couple of blocks away because of road construction nearby. As they walked past the grocers, Jackie emerged carrying a grocery sack full of ice cream, ice lollies, and alphabet soup.

"Mum! What are you doing here?" Rose asked, glancing around looking for Jack. "And where's Jack?" she asked when she didn't see him nearby.

"I left Jack with Mrs. Funkhauser," Jackie explained. "He started asking for something to eat and drink after you called, but he couldn't swallow much, so Mrs. Funkhauser agreed to watch him so that I can run out and get some things he might be able to eat."

Rose explained to Jason that Mrs. Funkhauser was an elderly neighbor who lived downstairs. She needed a walker to get around, so she was homebound most of the time. Jackie was updating Rose and Jason about Jack's symptoms just as they rounded the corner and the estate came into view. What Rose saw made her stomach drop. Dark smoke was billowing out of the windows and corridors of the lower-level flats and neighbors were running out the doors to safety.

Without a second thought, Rose and Jason took off running toward the building. Jason's long legs and even longer strides meant he would reach the building long before Rose.

"Which number is Mrs. Funkhauser's?" Jason called behind him.

"317B!" Rose yelled over the cacophony of shouts from the growing crowd around the building. The crowd grew in size and quickly, Rose and Jason were cut off from each other. As Rose reached the front of the crowd, she caught a glimpse of Jason's leather coat as it slipped in the door to the stairwell and up the stairs. She moved to follow, but a neighbor held her back, telling her it was too dangerous to go inside.

Rose struggled against the man restraining her, but couldn't escape his grasp. She watched the door anxiously, waiting for any sign of Jason or Jack. Her mum joined her, the bag of groceries abandoned somewhere along the way.

"Where's Jason?" Jackie asked.

Rose couldn't respond. All she could do was point to the stairs where she had seen Jason enter. Jackie covered her mouth and Rose heard, for the first time in her life, her mother muttering a prayer that Jason find Jack and bring him out safely.

It felt like an eternity had passed while they stood there watching and waiting. Rose hardly noticed the sounds of sirens from emergency vehicles as they approached the burning building. The smoke was growing thicker, burning her eyes and tickling her throat. She wondered how much worse it would be for Jack and Jason who were so much closer to the inferno than she was.

Suddenly, the stairwell doors crashed open and Rose made out Jason's silhouette, carrying Jack in his arms. Both were coughing and covered in soot, but seemed to be okay. Jason quickly scanned the crowd as Rose surged forward.

Jason handed Jack to Rose who hugged him close while he coughed. Before Rose realized what was happening, Jason was headed back into the building. She handed Jack off to Jackie and yelled after Jason.

"JASON! Where are you going?"

"He said he was going back for Mrs. Funkhauser," replied another neighbor who was standing nearby.

"Oh my God!" Jackie exclaimed. "He's gonna get himself killed!"

Once again, Rose could do nothing but stand by and watch as the man she loved disappeared into the dark smoke to rescue her elderly neighbor. By now, firefighters had swarmed the area and were pushing the crowds back. Jackie carried Jack over to one of the rescuers who escorted them to a nearby ambulance.

Two fire fighters approached the group, asking if anyone knew who else was still in the building. Rose was too dazed to reply, but the neighbor who had seen Jason re-enter the building spoke up.

"Mrs. Funkhauser in 317B is still up there." The neighbor gestured to Rose. "And her friend just ran into the stairwell to rescue her."

The firefighters turned quickly and spoke into their radios, directing a rescue team towards 317B.

Just as a team of firefighters in full gear were about to enter the stairwell, Jason emerged, coughing heavily and carrying an unconscious Mrs. Funkhauser over his shoulder. He only managed to make it a few feet from the heaviest of the smoke when he collapsed to the ground, somehow managing to keep Mrs. Funkhauser's body from slamming into the concrete. Rose pushed through the crowd and rushed to his side, heedless of the hands trying to restrain her. Jason was unconscious and unresponsive.


	14. Chapter 14

Three hours later, Rose sat in a waiting area at the hospital. The last few hours had been a blur. Jack was treated at the scene with oxygen and deemed well enough to not need to be transported to the hospital. Rose gave Jackie the address to Jason's house and told her to take Jack there and explain to Clara, the babysitter, what had happened. She promised to call as soon as she knew something. Rose wasn't permitted to ride in the ambulance with Jason, but a neighbor who worked as a cabbie offered to drive her. She was stopped in A&E and was unable to follow Jason because she wasn't family. Rose phoned Donna and told her what had happened. Donna promised to call in a few favors and see what she could do to help get Rose permission to see Jason, or at the very least be updated about his condition.

As Rose sat in the waiting area, her mind immediately took her to worst case scenarios. What if Jason didn't make it? What if he was already dead and she had no idea? Who was his next of kin? What would happen to sweet Sarah Jane? Once again tears rolled down her already tear-stained cheeks. Rose had finally found the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and now there was a chance that his life may already be over. Rose pulled her knees up to her chest and sobbed uncontrollably.

Rose wasn't sure how much more time had passed before she heard a familiar voice call her name. She looked up and saw Mickey standing next to a beautiful woman in a doctor's coat. Mickey rushed forward and enveloped Rose in a strong hug.

"When I heard about the fire, I called your mum to check on her, since I knew you'd be at work. And then she told me what happened with Jack and Mrs. Funkhauser. How's Jason? Any word?"

"No," Rose replied. "They won't let me back to see him or even give me an update because I'm not family."

"I'll take care of that," the woman next to Mickey said. Rose looked at her and Mickey glanced between them.

"Oh! Rose, this is my girlfriend Martha," Mickey explained.

Martha reached out her hand and Rose shook it. "Nice to meet you, Rose. Mickey has told me all about you. I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances."

"Me too," Rose smiled at Martha. "How can you help me see Jason?"

"I'm a doctor; I have some pull around here," Martha smiled. "What is Jason's last name?"

"Tempest," Rose replied.

Martha's face paled. " _Doctor_ Jason Tempest?"

"Yes," Rose replied. "Do you know him?"

"Yes," Martha responded through the shocked expression on her face. "We see each other's patients when one of us is unavailable."

Suddenly, Rose recalled Jason telling her at Wonder World about his colleague who was seeing his patients while he was on holiday. "Oh! You're Martha! I can't believe I never made the connection."

Martha glanced over to the nurses' station. "Wait here. I'll go have a chat with the nurses and get this sorted."

Rose and Mickey watched in awe as Martha marched confidently over to the nurses' station and spoke animatedly with the unit secretary and head nurse. Periodically she would turn around and point to Rose before returning to their conversation. After a few moments, Martha and a nurse approached Rose.

"It's all been taken care of, Rose," Martha explained. "Nurse Joan will take you to Jason's room. The doctor will be making rounds shortly and will update you on Jason's condition. I'll come by later after my rounds and check in on you both."

Rose hugged Martha and thanked her for her help and then quickly followed the nurse to Jason's room. When they arrived, Jason appeared to be unconscious with a breathing tube under his nose and an IV bag hanging over his shoulder. A heart monitor blinked brightly over his head and his finger glowed red with small clamp-like device attached to it. Rose approached his bedside, quickly wiping away a tear that escaped as she took inventory of his body. Despite being stripped of his clothing, his skin and hair smelled like the smoke that he bravely rushed into to rescue not only Jack but Mrs. Funkhauser as well. Rose wondered how the old lady was and made a mental note to ask the doctor when he came around later.

Rose reached out and took Jason's hand. Jason stirred and opened his eyes, smiling when he saw that Rose was the one holding his hand. When she saw that Jason was awake, the dam broke and Rose collapsed onto Jason's chest, clutching him tightly and sobbing.

"I almost lost you. I was so afraid. Please don't leave me alone," Rose chanted.

Jason opened his mouth to try to speak words of comfort to her, but he found that his vocal cords wouldn't work and he couldn't make any sounds even to get her attention. Instead, he rubbed her back and as her grip loosened on him, he cupped her cheeks and forced her to look him in the face. He mimed writing on his palm like it was a piece of paper and Rose realized what he was trying to say.

Rose glanced around the room and noticed a small notepad and pen sitting on the bedside table. She handed it to Jason and he began to write.

"Is Jack ok?" he wrote.

"Yes, he's fine. I sent him and Mum to your house to explain to Clara what had happened." Rose explained. Jason smiled and seemed to relax at the news.

"Your building?" Jason scribbled next.

"They're not telling us much, other than we can't go in until the investigation into the cause has concluded and the building is deemed safe to return."

Jason grinned cheekily at Rose and wrote "Guess you'll have to move in with me now."

Rose smirked. "Yeah. Me, Jack… and Mum."

Jason glared at Rose and wrote "Cheeky".

Just then, there was a knock at the door and an older, balding man came into the room. "Hello, Dr. Tempest. I'm Dr. Hamilton. How are you feeling?"

Jason picked up the notepad and wrote, "Chest is sore, but better. Pain = 4 or 5. O2 sats seem to be holding steady. Would really like to be able to get up and use the loo on my own."

Dr. Hamilton chuckled. "Of course. I'll ask the nurses to remove the catheter and slowly reduce the oxygen flow. I'd like to keep you overnight and do one last chest x-ray in the morning before discharging you. There's no way to know what particles you might have inhaled and I want to make sure you don't develop any infection. Do you think you can swallow some liquids without any pain?"

Jason nodded his head in the affirmative.

"Great. I'll have the nurses order you a liquid meal and if you can swallow it without any issues, we can remove the IV as well. Any other questions?"

Jason scribbled, "vocal cords?"

"Your vocal cords are swollen and irritated from both the smoke and the procedure we had to do to clean out your lungs. The swelling should go down in the next few days," Dr. Hamilton explained.

Jason quickly scribbled on the notepad again and handed it to Dr. Hamilton. The doctor glanced over a Rose and replied, "Of course Miss Tyler can stay with you. The staff have been informed that she is to be treated as a family member. Dr. Jones saw to that earlier," Dr. Hamilton smiled knowingly.

"How is Mrs. Funkhauser, doctor?" Rose asked.

"She's recovering well. We'll probably keep her here a few extra days, given her age, but I expect that she'll make a full recovery," the doctor remarked. Then he turned and looked at Jason. "You're a hero, Dr. Tempest. Not many people would rush into a burning building not once, but twice, to rescue others."

Jason nodded subtly, not wanting to be the focus of any more attention.

After checking Jason's vitals one last time, Dr. Hamilton left the room with a promise to return in the morning for one last check in.

Soon after he left the room, Nurse Joan came in to remove the catheter. She also had a tray of various liquids for Jason to drink and a bag of Jason's personal belongings that had been collected in A&E when he arrived. The bag contained his clothing that had been cut away from his body, including his old leather jacket, his wallet, keys and cell phone.

After a few minutes, Rose and Jason were left alone again. They stared at each other as Jason carefully drank his broth and spooned red gelatin into his mouth. Jason was beginning to worry about Rose's silence. Once he finished his liquid dinner, he pushed the tray table aside and turned to a clean page on the notepad.

"Penny for 'em?" he wrote.

Rose signed heavily. "I… I don't know. I guess I'm still trying to process everything, yeah?" Rose tried to explain the maelstrom of thoughts that swirled in her brain. "When I saw you go into that building to rescue Jack and then you came out and he was fine, I thought there was no way I could love you more at that moment. That you would risk your life to save my son…. And then you ran back into that building to save an elderly woman you didn't even know. And I was terrified that you were going to die in that building. And then they wouldn't let me ride in the ambulance with you. They wouldn't let me see you or even give me updates. I sat out there in that waiting area scared that you had died back here and I wouldn't even know it because I'm not your wife. And poor Sarah Jane. I thought about what would happen to her if you died. She's already lost so much."

Jason went to write on the notepad when Rose stopped him. She took the pen and paper out of his hands and held them in her own. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to ask. She looked into his eyes and continued.

"I know this isn't traditional, but when I thought that you might be dead, I wished that I hadn't been ignoring my heart all this time. For so long I've kept up walls to protect me and Jack from heartbreak but you've managed to break through the cracks in those walls." Rose paused and took another breath. "What I'm trying to say is…. Jason… will you marry me?"

Jason's eyes grew big at Rose's question. And then a smile slowly took over his face. Rose assumed his answer was a yes, but when she leaned in to kiss him, he stopped her and gestured to the table. Rose thought he wanted the notepad and pen back, but he instead gestured to his bag of personal items. She handed him the bag and he unceremoniously dumped the contents on the bed. He rummaged through the remnants of his tattered old leather jacket until he reached into one of the interior pockets and his smile grew impossibly bigger. He pulled out his hand and inside his fist was a small deep blue velvet bag cinched up with a satin cord. He carefully opened the bag and took out an engagement ring.

Rose couldn't believe her eyes. She covered her mouth in shock. Jason had an engagement ring in his jacket pocket? Had he been planning on proposing all along?! He slipped the ring on her finger and brought her hand to his lips to kiss it. Once Rose regained some semblance of coherent thought, and after admiring the platinum, diamond, and sapphire ring, she looked back up at Jason's adoring face.

"So, I guess this is a yes?" she grinned widely.

Jason nodded his head in agreement. Then he picked up the notepad and quickly wrote, "Can we just tell everyone that I asked you first?"

Rose smiled at him. "For the man who saved my son's life and nearly got himself killed, you can tell the story any way you want."

Jason smiled and wrote in large block letters "I LOVE YOU, ROSE TYLER."

"I love you, too," Rose answered before snogging Jason passionately until machines beeped their complaint about his decreasing oxygen saturation levels.

They giggled like teenagers when Nurse Joan rushed in to respond to the alarm.


	15. Chapter 15

Weeks passed and the party of five (including Jackie) had settled into a new routine with everyone under the same roof. Jason had recovered fully from the smoke inhalation. The building with Rose and Jackie's flats had been condemned. They had been allowed to return only long enough to gather personal belongings such as photos and mementos. Most of the furniture and clothing was ruined. Both received a lump sum from the government and local disaster groups to help cover the costs of replacement items. They were offered flats in nearby buildings, but Rose declined since her upcoming wedding would mean that she and Jack would move in eventually anyway with Jason and Sarah Jane. Jackie was undecided about what to do next when Jason made her an offer.

Jason's house had a single bedroom flat on the bottom floor with separate access under the front steps of the main house. His long time tenant was an American expat who worked in the financial district. His tenant had just notified him that he would be returning to U.S. and would no longer need the flat after the month's end. Jason offered the flat to Jackie.

"I can't afford to live in a posh flat in this neighborhood," Jackie replied. "I can barely afford my flat on the estates."

"I don't want your money, Jackie," Jason explained. "The only reason I had a paying tenant in the first place was because he was already living there when I bought the house. And rather than kick him out, I let him stay as long as he didn't cause trouble. You'd be doing me a favor by moving in and living down there. I don't want to be a landlord and have some stranger living under my family."

"Well, I don't need your charity, either." Jackie huffed.

"Ugh. This isn't charity…" Jason was growing increasingly frustrated with his future mother-in-law.

Sensing an impending slap, Rose intervened. "Mum, how about this… you live downstairs and help out with Jack and Sarah Jane after school and on weekends when Jason and I want to go out, yeah? And in exchange, you can live rent-free but reimburse Jason for your gas, electric, and water. Will that work?"

Jackie thought it over and agreed to Rose's terms. A month later, Jackie had settled into her new flat under the main house and was already earning her way since Clara had gone off traveling with an older man she had met at university and could no longer be a reliable babysitter.

Rose and Jason agreed that as part of their wedding, they wanted to adopt each other's child and Jason hired an attorney to help arrange the paperwork. Three weeks before the wedding, the attorney asked Rose and Jason to a meeting in his office.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Tyler and Dr. Tempest," the lawyer began. "I wanted to update you on the adoption paperwork for Jack and Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane's adoption is ready to finalize as all the documents were still in order from when Dr. Tempest adopted her after the death of her parents. However, Jack's adoption paperwork is a bit more difficult." Rose's stomach dropped. Jason squeezed her hand in wordless reassurance.

"What is the problem and how can we help?" Jason asked.

"Well, although Mr. James Stone is not listed on Jack's birth certificate, the law is clear that unless the parent is dead or ruled unfit to parent by the court, he must agree to the adoption before it can proceed." Rose's heart sank. Jimmy knew that she had been pregnant when he ran off. And he had made no effort to reach her in the years since. She couldn't help the dread that was starting to overwhelm her.

The lawyer continued. "I took the liberty of locating Mr. Stone. It was much easier than expected as he is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in Wandsworth. We contacted Mr. Stone and he has agreed to sign over his paternity rights to Jack on one condition."

"What condition?" Jason gritted his teeth.

"That Miss Tyler visit him in the jail so that he might speak with her," the lawyer explained.

Jason was furious. "Absolutely not! Who does he think he is to demand this? After what he did to Rose and then abandoning her when she was pregnant with Jack! There has got to be another way to do this."

The lawyer pressed on. "Unfortunately, the law is very clear on this topic. Mr. Stone must give his consent or the adoption cannot be finalized."

Jason turned to Rose to see her deep in thought. Eventually, she noticed that the room and grown quiet and she looked up to see Jason and the attorney watching her. She took a deep breath and said "I'll do it."

"Are you sure, Love?" Jason pleaded.

"If it's the only way to make Jack your son, then yes, I'm sure." Rose agreed.

"I'll arrange for the visit sometime next week," the lawyer explained. "And I will accompany you as a witness."

"I'm going too," Jason interrupted. "There's no way in hell I'm letting that man near my bride without me there."

"Of course," the attorney agreed. "I'll call you both as soon as the meeting is approved by the warden."

The next week, Rose was seated in a small booth with Jason standing protectively behind her. They were separated from the inmates by a wall of thick bulletproof glass. An empty chair sat across from them. The door at the back of the room opened and in walked Jimmy Stone in a bright orange prison uniform. When he saw Rose, he walked calmly to the empty seat and sat down. He picked up the old fashioned telephone receiver on the wall and motioned for Rose to do the same. Rose picked up the phone and held it shakily to her ear.

"Hi, Rose," Jimmy said calmly.

"Hi," Rose spoke quietly.

"You haven't changed. Still as beautiful as I remember. How have you been?" Jimmy asked.

Rose hesitated before she replied "Why did you ask to see me, Jimmy?"

Jimmy sighed, "I want to tell you that I'm sorry. I thought about writing it in a letter, but I wasn't sure if you would read it. I've had a lot of time to think, being locked up in here. And I know that I used to be a very bad person. I treated you poorly and I abandoned you and the baby. I was selfish and I'm sorry. I didn't deserve you then and I don't deserve you now. I hope that one day you can forgive me. And, I want you to know that I consent to the adoption under one condition."

"What's your condition?" Rose asked, even though she was terrified of his answer.

"That you assure me that the man who will be his father loves him and will do everything in his power to see that he grows up to be an honest, hard-working, and respectful man. I know he shares my genes, but I don't want him to share my fate." Jimmy then glanced up at Jason who stood tensed with his arms crossed behind Rose and glaring angrily at Jimmy. "Is that him?" he asked Rose.

"Yes. And I can assure you that Jason already loves Jack as if he were his own son. Our building caught fire a few months ago and Jason risked his life to run in and rescue Jack. I can't imagine a better father." Rose smiled and glanced back at Jason. Jason looked quickly down at Rose, smiling softly before returning his eyes to glare at Jimmy.

Jimmy considered Rose's words and nodded. "Can I speak to him?"

Rose held out the receiver to Jason. "He'd like to speak with you."

Jason held the receiver near his ear. "What do you want?" he asked Jimmy.

"Do you love Rose?"

"With all that I am."

"and Jack?"

"more than you can ever imagine."

Jimmy reached into his jumpsuit and pulled out an envelope. He held it up for them to see. "This is a letter to Jack. You are welcome to read it and give it to him when he's old enough to understand. I may have contributed half of his genes, but I was never a father to him. And I hope one day he can forgive me for that." Jason nodded and Jimmy continued. "Please tell your attorney that I will sign the consent forms now. Oh… and one more thing. Please take care of Rose. She deserves the best."

"That is one thing we can both agree on," Jason replied.

Jason handed the receiver back to Rose.

"Thank you for coming, Rose," Jimmy said. "Take care of yourself and I hope one day you can forgive me."

"I forgave you a long time ago, Jimmy," Rose replied, surprising both men. "You treated me badly, yes, but I wouldn't change anything because everything led to having Jack. He brings so much joy to my life. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Jimmy smiled softly back at Rose. "Thank you, Rose." And with that, Jimmy hung up the receiver and slid the envelope for Jack thought the small opening. He bowed his head to hide the tears that threatened to flow down his cheeks. The attorney appeared next to Rose and Jason and signaled they could leave the visitor booth while Jimmy signed the necessary consent forms. Rose turned and gave Jimmy one last look before walking out the door. Jimmy smiled gratefully and gave a small wave as they left room.


	16. Chapter 16

_Here's the last chapter! I went back and forth about whether to write the actual wedding scene. But, this chapter (this whole fic!) has enough tooth-rotting fluff, so I skipped the wedding bit. I'll leave that up to your imaginations._

 _Thanks again for all the favorites and comments. This was such a fun fic to write; I'm glad I listened to my muse on this one._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few months later, the Tempest family was enjoying their new life together. They traveled back to Wonder World for their honeymoon, taking the children and Jackie with them. Jason surprised Rose with a Wonder Cruise in the middle of the honeymoon, leaving Jackie and the children at Wonder World while they spent five days enjoying the adult-only amenities the cruise offered and a private bungalow on a secluded island just for cruise guests.

It had been a little over a month since they had returned from Wonder World. Rose had taken the day off of work to visit the doctor to confirm her suspicions. She hadn't said anything to Jason, not wanting to get his hopes up too soon. With evidence in hand, she called Donna and set her plan into action. _Jason isn't the only one who can plan surprises_ , Rose thought to herself, remembering the dinner with Rickey and Romana Rodent on that first day they met.

While Jason was seeing a patient, Donna snuck Rose into an empty exam room and returned to the front desk. Half an hour passed and Jason approached the front desk, jacket in hand ready to head out for lunch.

"I'm going to go see Rose for lunch, Donna. See you in a bit," he said as he slipped his sleeves into his coat.

"Oi! You can't go yet! There's a mum in room five who just found out she's pregnant and wants to interview you. I know you don't usually do interviews except on Thursdays, but she was quite persistent…" Donna explained.

Jason glanced at his watch and sighed. He hoped that this would be quick; he didn't want to miss his window to see Rose during her lunch break. "It's alright, Donna. Let me see if I can make this quick. Stay close by in case you need to intervene for me."

Donna nodded and Jason headed to room five. He knocked on the door and quickly entered without waiting for a reply. When he looked up he saw Rose sitting on the exam table. "Rose! My love! What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" Rose asked smiling with her tongue in her teeth.

Jason looked at her, confusion written all over his face. "Donna said you were a pregnant mum wanting to interview me…"

"And she's not wrong." Rose continued to smile as Jason's face contorted from one of confusion to one of understanding and awe.

"You mean you're…"

"Yeah"

"Really?"

"Really. Just had Dr. Cooper confirm it this morning. Thought I'd come by and surprise you."

Jason rushed forward and enveloped Rose in a tight embrace. "Oh Rose! I love you!" When he leaned back to look at her face, he smiled widely. "A baby! You're having our baby!"

Before Rose could reply, the door to the exam room opened and Donna entered wheeling an ultrasound machine behind her. "I borrowed this from the lab down the hall. Got to take it back in an hour, but you're free to use it until then." Donna smiled knowingly and then turned to leave. "Oh! And all your patients for this afternoon have rescheduled for tomorrow and Martha agreed to be on call, so I'm closing the office early. Have a good evening!"

Jason and Rose took full advantage of the ultrasound machine, printing pictures and admiring the tiny life they had made together. As they walked out of the building an hour later, Jason's cheeks hurt from the smile that hadn't faded the whole time.

"Wow… we're having a baby!" he said again in awe.

"Yep. What do you think? Better with five?" Rose asked.

"Absolutely!" Jason replied. After a moment lost in his thoughts, he reconsidered. "Or better yet, maybe better with six?"

Rose smiled widely and nodded her head in agreement.

"Fantastic!"


End file.
